U.S. Steel’s acquisition will end a difficult marriage that forged — and constrained — Pittsburgh’s identity

Acquisition of the once-giant steelmaker will be a blow to the sense of self of many Pittsburghers. But though the company has been an icon, it hasn’t always been committed to the community. Essay by Christopher Briem It is a fitting end for United States Steel that its long history as a corporate behemoth ends with plans to be& acquired whole by Japan’s Nippon Steel. Once a world leader, the steelmaker has long been in decline, and locally it has long been more a part of the region’s self-image than a partner in regional development. Few places have retained an indelible moniker for as long as Pittsburgh has been known as the Steel City. It makes sense that a city and region that were the home to an unparalleled cluster of metals industries since long before the Civil War would be known for what they produced and exported to the world.& Emissions linger at street level at U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock on Jan. 30. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/PublicSource) But the painful truth is that U.S. Steel, long the dominant local player in the industry, has never had anywhere near the commitment to Pittsburgh as Pittsburgh had to...