This article original appeared in the Pittsburgh Business Times | Friday, April 10, 2026.
Downtowns don’t come back because of one project. They come back because people choose to invest in them, believe in them, and show up to rebuild them together.
In Pittsburgh, we’ve spent decades proving that the arts are part of that equation. From theater, dance, and live music to film, public art, and festivals, the arts activate our streets and public spaces in ways few other investments can.
In my three years leading the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and throughout my career in the arts, I’ve seen firsthand that the arts are not separate from Downtown’s strength. They are a key contributor to its success.
Long before our new four-acre civic space, Arts Landing, opens this month, the Cultural Trust has been looking ahead and investing not only in the arts as they exist today, but in what they can become for Downtown tomorrow. That forward-thinking work has helped make the Cultural District into a destination, and a destination into a powerful economic driver for our region.
In 2025, the Cultural Trust’s programs created more than 700 paid opportunities for local artists—teachers, musicians, visual artists and performers whose work brings life to Downtown and extends into surrounding communities. We invested $800,000 in local artist fees and created additional opportunities for hundreds of artists to sell their work and connect with new audiences.
At the same time, we presented hundreds of touring performances, bringing world-class music, theater, and dance to Pittsburghers. Cultural Trust performances support hundreds of union workers and crew members, and they fill restaurants and businesses across the Cultural District.
A new economic impact study by HR&A Advisors found that Cultural Trust programming annually supports more than 1,700 jobs and drives an estimated $175 million in economic impact. That’s nearly $1 billion in economic impact since we reopened venues, post-pandemic.
In 2026, we have a goal of creating one million visitor engagements, and we’ve already seen more than 100,000 people pack the Benedum Center for five weeks of WICKED.
Those numbers are important. They show that an investment in arts and culture means investing in the kind of place people choose to spend time, and the kind of environment businesses need to grow. Without that, it’s very difficult for a Downtown to thrive.
That matters right now.
At a time when many Downtowns across the country are still trying to figure out what comes next, Pittsburgh has something real to point to. For more than 40 years, the Cultural Trust has helped show what’s possible when the arts are part of a long-term strategy for Downtown. The Cultural District has become one of the country’s strongest examples of arts-driven revitalization, with Arts Landing as the next chapter in that story.
More than ever, the arts and the public spaces that support them are central to how people experience Downtown.
Arts Landing builds on what the Cultural Trust already does by creating a place where people gather, stay longer, and return more often. That could mean coming early before a show, staying after, or spending time Downtown outside of a performance. It also expands access, bringing in people who may not have previously spent time in the Cultural District.
For business leaders, this isn’t just about arts and culture. It’s about competitiveness.
Companies want to be in cities that attract and retain staff, and those people want to be in places that have energy and feel active. That doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a shared commitment to creating experiences people value Downtown.
Continuing to invest in public spaces, supporting artists, and treating Downtown as a neighborhood people should choose, makes it more than a place to pass through.
We’ve seen what works in Pittsburgh. The Cultural District is proof of that.
The future of Downtown won’t be defined by any one project. It will be shaped by the experience we create every day, and the role the arts continue to play in bringing people together.
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