Looking back on what I wrote last week, I realized that was not at all what I was trying to say. I chose the Hill for its location and position in the city rather than its distressed situation. An outsider’s observation of the Hill, with its height and views to the whole city, abundant greenery, and with an absolutely central location within Pittsburgh, would logically set the Hill as the heart of the city.

The Hill can come to embody Pittsburgh in its current Renaissance as a sustainable source of energy for the city, from no-man’s land to everyone’s land. At first I thought of the wind turbines I see popping up on random hills throughout Western Pennsylvania every time I drive towards New York, but as a more specific focus, a cultural source of energy ideally set on the Hill, I’m interested in proposing a museum to celebrate Pittsburgh’s diverse communities and commemorate its fading industrial past. Like bell towers of Italian cities or skyscrapers of New York or Chicago, Pittsburgh’s Hill provides the grand view to orient visitors in this unique city and point out its highlights in all directions.