Scholarly record

THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES OF THE POSTINDUSTRIAL CITY

N. G. Katz

Abstract

This article adopts a socio-cultural position to describe and analyze the main patterns in the development of the cultural environment of modern postindustrial cities. The author presents the historical experience and contemporary condition of Pittsburgh to illustrate his arguments. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Pittsburgh developed an international reputation as an important center of American heavy industry. It achieved particular fame for its iron and steel works. However, by the end of the twentieth century, when, as a result of dramatic changes in the domestic and global economies, the majority of steel mills ceased to operate, the city successfully transitioned from an economy based on heavy industry, to one reliant on high-tech. Today, the city is a center for research and development in fields such as computers, robotics, and artificial intelligence, while hospitals and other medical facilities are now the largest employers in the region. These profound changes had a tremendous impact on the daily-life and work patterns of many of the cityВ’s ethnic communities, which had been established by European immigrants in the nineteenth century. As a result, Pittsburgh may be considered one of the first postindustrial intercultural cities in the US. The article also discusses the implications of PittsburghВ’s experience for the future of modern cities in general.

Publication details

Back to publication list