Chapter 1: The Loss of "Big Steel" and the Consequences for the River Communities.

The chapter examines the consequences of the closure of steel mills for the communities that dominate the riverfronts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Technological change and the restructuring of the world economies affected employment in the U.S. Prior to 1980, the Pittsburgh region was renowned as one of the world's great centers of manufacturing. Pittsburgh residents were not prepared for the permanent shutdowns that occurred in the late 1970s and especially in the early 1980s. Excess global capacity in the 1980s was seen as central to the demise of steel in the U.S.