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Pittsburgh

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As the home of one of RAND's principal North American offices, the Pittsburgh region is understandably the focal point of significant RAND interest. Research studies have focused on topics ranging from child health and well-being and the structure of Pittsburgh Public Schools to the region's government and infrastructure.

Project
How Does Neighborhood Investment Affect Residents' Health and Well-Being?
RAND's PHRESH project has been studying how investments in two Pittsburgh neighborhoods affect diet, sleep, health, and well-being. We've learned that when residents are involved in decisions, communities can become healthier and happier.
Jun 8, 2021
Research Brief
Green Infrastructure Can Help Manage Rainfall in an Urban Watershed
Urbanization, inadequate investment in aging infrastructure, and more-frequent heavy rainfall events due to climate change have led to sewer overflows, flooding, and reduced water quality in U.S. cities. The challenges of increasing volumes of stormwater can be addressed by a mix of solutions.
Oct 29, 2020

Explore Pittsburgh

Journal Article
What Is Associated with Changes in Food Security Among Low-Income Residents of a Former Food Desert?
We compared study participants in a former food desert neighborhood whose food security improved to those whose food security did not improve across survey waves. Distance to major food shopping store was positively associated with food security.
May 16, 2023
Journal Article
The Impact of Defense Counsel at Bail Hearings
Roughly half of U.S. counties do not provide defense counsel at bail hearings, and few studies have documented the potential impacts of legal representation at this stage.
May 11, 2023
Journal Article
Do Social Isolation and Neighborhood Walkability Influence Relationships Between COVID-19 Experiences and Wellbeing in Predominantly Black Urban Areas?
Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) pandemic.
Jan 31, 2023
News Release
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Sector Is Large, but Faces Challenges; Improvements Needed to Continue to Flourish
The Pittsburgh region has a robust science and technology sector that is larger than the national average, but action is needed to safeguard the region's strengths and further its ability to compete with other technology hubs.
Jan 9, 2023
Tool
Science and Technology-Focused Postsecondary Options in the Pittsburgh Area
RAND researchers compiled a list of science- and technology-focused (STF) providers and programs in the Pittsburgh area. Potential students can filter the list to find out which types of degrees or certificates can be earned in which STF fields.
Jan 9, 2023
Report
Pittsburgh's Science- and Technology-Focused Workforce
About 18 percent of Pittsburgh's employment is in science- and technology-focused occupations, and the growth rate suggests the need for more workers in the future. What investments and policy changes could safeguard the region's strengths and support it as a flourishing science and technology hub?
Jan 9, 2023
Commentary
The Intelligence Community Doesn't Warn About All Attacks Against the U.S. Homeland. Why Not?
Targets for foreign threats against the United States increasingly include entities that are not part of the U.S. government or military. But too many of these potential victims are unaware of threats against them, are not warned with intelligence reporting about such threats, and lack information about options to protect themselves.
Oct 21, 2022
Report
Expanding Charter School Capacity: The Case of Propel Montour
Researchers examine the expansion of Propel Schools, a small, regional charter school network in southwestern Pennsylvania, to describe the academic and behavioral experiences of continuing and expansion students from fall 2017 to spring 2020.
Sep 29, 2021
Periodical
RAND Review: July-August 2021
One feature highlights how researchers apply an equity lens to projects on environmental racism, incarcerated parents, and the lives of Black service members; a second describes interventions to address disparities in infant mortality rates.
Jul 1, 2021
Blog
China's Ambitions, Origins of the Coronavirus, Income Inequality: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on China’s quest for global primacy, understanding the coronavirus origin story, how parents feel about sending their children back to school, and more.
Jun 11, 2021
Journal Article
SNAP Participants and High Levels of Food Insecurity in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic
We examined how people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly Black participants, and participants residing in food deserts.
Apr 2, 2021
Journal Article
Do Investments in Low-Income Neighborhoods Produce Objective Change in Health-Related Neighborhood Conditions?
This study examined the effect of neighborhood investments on neighborhood walkability, presence of incivilities, and crime in two low-income, primarily African American neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.
Mar 16, 2021
Journal Article
Changes in Perceptions of Neighborhood Environment and Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Two Predominantly African American Neighborhoods
Perceived neighborhood characteristics, including satisfaction with one's neighborhood as a place to live, are associated with lower obesity rates and more favorable cardiovascular risk factor profiles.
Mar 16, 2021
Journal Article
An Audit Tool for Longitudinal Assessment of the Health-Related Characteristics of Urban Neighborhoods: Implementation Methods and Reliability Results
To identify neighborhood features that are predictors of health, objective assessments of the environment are used. In this paper, we have described implementation methods, reliability results and lessons learned to inform future studies of change.
Mar 16, 2021
Journal Article
A Preliminary Study of a Composite Sleep Health Score: Associations with Psychological Distress, Body Mass Index, and Physical Functioning in a Low-Income African American Community
The current study investigates associations of five sleep dimensions, analyzed separately and simultaneously, with psychological distress, body mass index, and physical functioning among a low-income, predominantly African American population.
Mar 16, 2021
Journal Article
Food Insecurity Is Associated with Objectively Measured Sleep Problems
Food Insecurity (FI) can be a profound source of stress, which may increase the risk for sleep disturbance. This is the first study to examine the association between FI and objectively and subjectively measured sleep.
Mar 16, 2021
Journal Article
Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
Longitudinal data highlight profound inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Existing policies appear inadequate to address the widening gap.
Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article
Improvements in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Conditions May Improve Resident Diet
Investing in neighborhoods may support resident diet through improvements in neighborhood commercial environments for renters, but mechanisms appear to differ for homeowners.
Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article
Violent Crime, Police Presence and Poor Sleep in Two Low-Income Urban Predominantly Black American Neighbourhoods
To examine violent crime in relation to sleep and explore pathways, including psychological distress, safety perceptions and perceived police presence, that may account for associations.
Mar 11, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Pittsburgh

Topic Synonyms:
Pittsburgh Office

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