By Mason Fish
SPC
1/30/2026
On the surface, long range planning can often be perceived as distant or overly technical. However, current decisions regarding jobs, transportation, and infrastructure have a direct impact on daily life in Southwestern Pennsylvania. These choices influence residents’ access to employment, business growth, and the long-term desirability of communities.
Read more »By Mason Fish
SPC
12/12/2025
If you have never been to one of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s (SPC) public meetings, you might picture a long slideshow in a quiet room with a drawn-out lecture. However, what you will actually find is something very different.
Read more »By Rich Fitzgerald
Executive Director, SPC
11/20/2025
As we open the brand-new landside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport, it’s important to remember the years of work that got us to today. For over a decade, thousands of people across our region have worked to make this a reality. The opening of the new Pittsburgh International Airport represents so much more than just the completion of a major infrastructure project. To me, it marks the start of a new era for Southwestern Pennsylvania and a defining moment for our region’s future.
Read more »By Mason Fish
SPC
10/29/2025
The way goods move across Southwestern Pennsylvania shapes nearly every part of daily life, from how grocery stores stay stocked to how local industries get their products to the market. Behind the scenes, freight networks connect the region’s roads, railways, airports, and waterways into one complex system that keeps the economy running. That constant, mostly unseen movement is one of the reasons our region works, and it is why updating the Regional Freight Plan matters.
Read more »The new space will be in the heart of the Strip District. In the meantime, SPC will be operating virtually until further notice.
Staff will be available via their email, or you can call 412.391.5590. For general inquiries, please email comments@spcregion.org.
Read more »To our valued Members, Planning Partners and Colleagues:
As this year draws to an end, I must begin with a heartfelt thank you to our Members, whose communities comprise the region we at SPC are honored to serve. It is your unwavering support that enables and inspires us to do our best work every day, work that ultimately improves the quality of life for our region’s residents.
Thank you to our Planning Partners, without whose contributions our work would be impossible. It is your intimate knowledge of the needs of your communities and programs that informs and guides our commitment to keep southwestern Pennsylvania connected and moving forward.
Read more »It was another sad day in Southwestern Pennsylvania with the passing of Cranberry Supervisor and SPC Commissioner Richard Hadley,” said Vincent Valdes, SPC Executive Director. Commissioner Hadley represented Butler County on the Commission since 2015. He was dedicated to real-world planning and championed mixed use and complete streets policies for Cranberry Township as a long-time township supervisor. He brought his passion for planning to SPC’s regional forum and we will miss his expertise on how to plan for growing communities. Every day, the residents of Cranberry Township are witness to and of his life-long, dedicated public service.
Vincent Valdes
https://www.butlereagle.com/20220825/longtime-cranberry-supervisor-chairman-dies-2/
Read more »“It is a sad day for Southwestern Pennsylvania with the passing of Joe Grata. Joe was a lifelong public servant and advocate for our region’s transportation system first as a longtime transportation reporter who shared his deep understanding of the planning, engineering and funding of infrastructure with the public. Later, in his retirement, he worked to advance connectivity, safety and regionalism as an SPC Commissioner representing Fayette County. Joe recognized that all transportation is ‘local’ in the minds of our communities and further understood the role of mobility to regional economic vitality and quality of life. The Commissioners and staff of SPC will miss his perspective, intellect, and sense of humor as we continue our work to keep Southwestern Pennsylvania connected and moving forward.”
Vincent Valdes
Author: Steve Meredith, Manager, Business Finance.
On several occasions throughout the year, I will have a promising opportunity come across my desk, only to fall apart because the timeline for my organization’s economic development loans does not fit with what the client needs. While I can certainly understand the need to be flexible and work with clients, their sellers, and other financial institutions, there are a few aspects of economic development lending that can delay closing on publicly funded loans. This results in a tricky “dance,” in which economic development lenders, their borrowers, sellers, and often private lending institutions must participate to ensure the best interest rates and terms for small business clients.
Read more »
