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OPINION 250:

To commemorate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary, the Post-Gazette Forum section will run articles every other week this year that explore how the region can build on its past to make a better future. Unsolicited viewpoints also are welcome for possible publication in the newspaper or at post-gazette.com. Send e-mail to: opinion@post-gazette.com (Please include Opinion 250 in the subject line.)

• • • Post-Gazette coverage of the city's birthday

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When I became president of the Buhl Foundation in September 2007, I figured it was important to understand the Pittsburgh region before reviewing the foundation's philanthropic priorities. What better way to take the temperature of the region than to speak to a cross section of its leaders.

Over the past few months, I have met with more than 140 Western Pennsylvanians to see how they feel about Pittsburgh's future, how they view the region's leadership, what their pet peeves are and what warms the cockles of their hearts about our community. These interviews covered a diverse range of people from corporate CEOs and university heads to community activists and social-service providers. The responses were surprisingly consistent.

First, I was surprised by the overwhelming expressions of optimism. The vast majority of these Western Pennsylvanians were excited about where Pittsburgh is and where it is heading.

Just about everyone noted the importance of health care and education, but many also felt that the economic metamorphosis of the region was moving beyond "meds" and "eds." Many cited not only the resurgence of some of Pittsburgh's major industrial corporations (such as Consol, U.S. Steel and Westinghouse) but also the growth of smaller and mid-sized companies. Other causes for optimism included the "greening" movement in businesses and architecture, new Downtown developments, the continuing expansion of cultural and outdoor amenities, and the overall quality of life. Many said it also seems as though young people no longer are trying to escape the region but instead are looking for an opportunity to stay or return.

Tempering the optimism was the continuing decline in population, the need for job growth and the difficulty of making progress without action in Harrisburg on important subjects, such as taxes. That said, most felt the regional bleeding had stopped and that things were turning around.

What is also surprising is that so many people expressed optimism despite what most felt was an absence of visionary leadership. On the political front, County Chief Executive Dan Onorato received high marks, but many were concerned that his eyes look east toward Harrisburg and a run for governor. Few expressed the view that other political leaders were ready to step forward; many expressed concern.

Equally questioned was today's corporate leadership, which many saw as decimated compared to the legendary leadership of much of the last century. While bright spots were noted -- most frequently Jim Rohr, the CEO of PNC Financial Services Group -- the Allegheny Conference on Community Development was a source of concern. Respondents felt the conference's impact, except perhaps on economic development, was negligible. Many felt a new model for civic leadership and engagement was necessary. One person frequently praised as the type of leader needed if this region hopes to compete in a global economy was Mark Roosevelt, the superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools.

The need for a more regional perspective was a recurring theme, and most expressed strong support for consolidating local governments. While a wide range of options were mentioned, the consolidation of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County governments was seen as the most important and feasible goal, at least in the shorter run. The absence of a well-conceived regional transportation plan (one that, for instance, would link Oakland to Downtown via light rail) also was often lamented. The North Shore Connector and, to a lesser degree, the Mon-Fayette Expressway, were seen as poster children for short-sightedness.

A common pet peeve cited was regional self-deprecation or, as Charlie Humphrey, the executive director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, has put it, "our mass hysterical low self-esteem." A mantra recited by transplants to Pittsburgh as well as natives who have spent considerable time in other cities was: How can we love this region so much yet be so reticent to extol its virtues? Or, as Mark Roosevelt has said: "I came from a city (Boston) that thinks far too much of itself to a city that thinks far too little of itself."

Another peeve is the region's "risk aversion" and inability to fathom change. Many lamented a political and social structure that seems to inhibit new ideas despite a history of industrial and technological innovation.

A third recurring complaint was the region's lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Some expressed it as an unacceptable economic disparity among the races and others as a lack of immigration. Whichever they emphasized, most were quick to cite diversity as necessary to a vibrant community.

I doubt diversity was on the radar screen of many local leaders a decade ago -- except for those committed to "social justice." Today, it clearly is on the minds of many and the economic-development rationale is a broader basis for change, even if a sense of social justice is more laudable.

Virtually everyone I talked to expressed a deep love of Pittsburgh, despite its flaws, along with a commitment to its future. The things that clearly "warm the cockles" of Pittsburghers' hearts are its amenities and its people.

Most local leaders gushed about Pittsburgh's quality of life, cultural institutions, parks and stunning topography. One described "its almost European charm, unlike any other American city."

But the character of the people of Pittsburgh was viewed as its greatest asset, even though it may not show up in the statistics by which people judge cities. Genuine, unassuming, sincere and accessible, the people here generate a sense of community that its residents -- indigenous or transplanted -- cherish.

In the end, what was most striking was this dichotomy: Our parochial attitudes are both our biggest liability and our greatest asset.

In this year of celebrating the Pittsburgh region's 250th anniversary, it is important to think about how the next 250 years, or even the next 10, might look. Can we move beyond our inferiority complex born of the decline of steel and recapture an earlier vision when the French first christened a log structure at the point as the chapel "of the beautiful rivers." Can we see the industrial revolution not as the single basis of Pittsburgh's psyche but, rather, as just one of the many periods during which Pittsburgh has reinvented itself?

In practical terms, can Steeler Nation begin to think regionally on matters other than sports, such as political governance or economic development? And are we strong enough and confident enough to build our future even in the absence of a single clearly ordained leader?

Perhaps we can. Perhaps we are.

Perhaps our region is America's most livable city -- and we do have reason to be mass hysterically optimistic.