Pittsburgh has been trying to attract immigrants to bolster the city’s population – less than half its peak in the 1950s. Monday Mayor Bill Peduto released the plan detailing how, exactly, to do that best.
Aside from growing the city’s population and increasing diversity there’s an economic reason to woo immigrants: they tend to be more entrepreneurial than native-born Americans.
In other words, more immigrants could mean more jobs, a larger tax base, and more growth for the city as a whole.
As part of the planning process, Pittsburgh conducted surveys to learn about the immigrant experience in the city. Results, outlined in the plan, showed 77 percent of foreign-born respondents “feel generally welcome, accepted, and safe. But less than half felt that Pittsburghers are willing to go out of their way to assist others, and to make connections for immigrants. The largest hurdles encountered by respondents included transportation (41 percent had difficulty using public transportation), employment, and connecting and making friends.”
Read more of this report at the website of our partner Keystone Crossroads.
