The Steps of Pittsburgh

Step right up! Join the library for an “elevated” talk with local authors Laura Zurowski and Charles Succop about their brand-new book, City Steps of Pittsburgh: A History and Guide! 

As all Pittsburgh pedestrians know, the city’s elevation varies wildly, making it one of the hilliest places in the United States. Throughout this unruly and physically challenging landscape, the city's first mass transportation system was built – a steadily expanding network of public stairways locally referred to as "city steps." These flights of stairs are a throwback to a very different time in history and a very different Pittsburgh. 

In this much-anticipated history, authors Laura Zurowski, Charles Succop and Matthew Jacob present the history of the Steel City steps and a walking guide to their scenic locations today. 

Take a step in the right direction – register today! 

Bio: Laura Zurowski is a technical writer at the University of Pittsburgh. Since 2017, she has published the site and blog Mis.Steps: Our Missed Connections with Pittsburgh’s City Steps, a public space documentation project of Pittsburgh’s public stairways. Laura graduated from Emerson College, where she studied marketing and communication, and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where she received a master’s degree in education, planning, and social policy. 

Charles Succop works in the Pittsburgh City Archives as the City Archivist and is the local historian behind the pghthenandnow Instagram account. He graduated from Appalachian State University, where he studied community and regional planning and geography, and the University of Pittsburgh, where he received a Master of Library and Information Science degree.