Greater Allegheny

Greater Allegheny students study Pittsburgh’s Strip District

The in-depth plan included information on the ideal state of The Strip, the actual plan currently in place and strategies for the future development of the neighborhood. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

The Penn State Greater Allegheny students of BA 422W, Strategic Business Planning, presented a Strategic Plan for the Strip District on Dec. 3 at the Pittsburgh Public Market. The class spent the fall semester performing an in-depth study of the business strategies of the Strip District. The presentation, titled “Strategies for Lasting Success,” was followed by a question-and-answer session.

Strategic Business Planning is the capstone course of the bachelor of science in business (BSB) degree. The instructor, Michelle Hough, associate professor of business, was interested in the area as a regular visitor. In addition, the BSB program has had interns at Neighbors in the Strip. Hough approached Becky Rodgers, executive director of the community development group, about working with her students for their capstone project.  

“We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with Neighbors in the Strip. In a normal Strategic Business class, students read and discuss business cases. Students learn much more by deeply engaging in an actual business,” said Hough.

The in-depth plan included information on the ideal state of The Strip, the actual plan currently in place and strategies for the future development of the neighborhood. The students made a vision statement and a mission statement. Some suggested plans included development of a concert venue, residential areas, business expansion, and accessibility to and around the Strip District. The students made recommendations for a number of improvements, including child-centered activities, emergency call boxes and year-round events as well as an app that would help visitors plan their visit to the area. 

After the presentation, the Q-and-A session provided a lively discussion of the pros and cons of the students’ plan, and several recommendations made seemed to be of interest to several community members present.

Last Updated December 9, 2014