Technology Development, Neighborhood Planning, and Negotiated Partnerships: The Case of Pittsburgh's Oakland Neighborhood

Neighborhood organizations are rarely involved in policymaking for high-technology industries, and as a result they often oppose new development initiatives. The Oakland Planning and Development Corporation (OPDC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an exception. That organization has attempted to influence high-tech growth in its community by commissioning a “technology impact analysis” as a tool with which to negotiate with key high-tech participants. OPDC has successfully used the analysis to broaden support and gain resources for its activities in housing and commercial development and land-use planning. OPDC's inability to establish job training and placement links to high-technology industries, however, points to difficulties in neighborhood-level planning for advanced technology economic development.