The Manifesto Takes Flight

On my optimistic days, I like to pretend that people not only read the Manifesto for a New Pittsburgh, but actually took its message to heart: Pittsburgh prosperity through global connectivity. Today's mail brings two pieces of possibly probative evidence:

The Pittsburgh 250/Imagine Pittsburgh! team is sponsoring the Global Pittsburgh Celebration during the month of September. Let's hope that the celebration continues year-round. (Let's also hope that the powers-that-be add "revitalizing and renewing Pittsburgh's sister cities relationships" to the celebratory mix.) The whole idea should be welcome in places like Jim Russell's Burgh Diaspora and the Pittsburgh Quarterly's IntoPittsburgh headquarters.

And Disney is coming to Pittsburgh (and to Zurich), via a partnership with Carnegie Mellon. I sense the hand of the late Randy Pausch at work. This is obviously a "global Pittsburgh" moment. Is it a diasporan moment, too?