Perspectives: December 2025

A message from our President & CEO

One Year of Strategy in Action

At the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, this year began with a vision shaped alongside more than 100 partners, and that vision is now taking hold in visible, meaningful ways. Strategy in Action, the PDP’s three-year framework, is guiding our goals and delivering results. From improvements in public safety and cleanliness to progress in Market Square, expanded retail opportunities, and continued residential growth, Downtown’s transformation is happening in real time.

Read the full message

Strategy in Action

Working towards our Strategic Vision is a year-round effort. Here are some of the highlights from this past month.

Core

Highlights

On-Street Services: Latest Impact Metrics

Our on-street services work around the clock to keep Downtown clean, safe and welcoming. Here are a few recent highlights:

Volunteer highlights: November 2025

We hosted a great group of volunteer partners throughout the month. Our volunteer partners were focused on various projects including leaf removal and relabeling of trash receptacles. Each volunteer group averaged between twelve and fifteen bags collected, with one group collecting a notable twenty-five bags of leaves! The other project completed by our volunteer groups was helping our Ambassadors with the relabeling of Smithfield Street trash receptacles following a label printing update.

Thank you to all of our November volunteer groups!

• Allegheny Courts
• Duquesne University Biology Department
• Pittsburgh Cares
• Point Park University ‘Adopt a Block’ (with PDP)
• Renewal, Inc.
• University of Pittsburgh Alpha Psi Omega
• University of Pittsburgh Delta Epsilon Mu
• Magisterial Courts/Attorney Offices

Thank you to all of the incredible volunteer groups who joined us in 2025. Your efforts helped make Downtown cleaner, brighter, and more connected. Whether you joined a cleanup, helped with an event, or came as part of an organization — we appreciate you! Your time, energy, and heart continue to shape the Downtown experience for residents, workers, and visitors.

Ready to get involved in 2026? Sign up here or email Bree at bpryor@downtownpittsburgh.com to learn more about upcoming opportunities. Let’s build an even stronger Downtown together!

Activation

Downtown Pittsburgh Kicks off 2025 Holiday Season with Highmark Light Up Night, Peoples Gas Holiday Market, Family-Friendly Santa’s House and KidsPlay, and a Market Square ‘Yinzer Wonderland’

The 2025 Holiday Season in Downtown Pittsburgh is in full swing, kicking off with the 64th Highmark Light Up Night®, which saw an attendance of over 80,500 people on November 22nd. The Peoples Gas Holiday Market™, Santa’s House, The Black Market, and Holiday KidsPlay are entering their final week of holiday festivities in the Cultural District, and have been featured regularly on Pittsburgh Today Live throughout the season.

Get all the details now at downtownpittsburgh.com/holidays

Market Square transforms into a Yinzer Wonderland with Iconic ‘Bridge’ Photo Moment, 12 Days of Yinzmas, and Holiday Window Competition

The Holiday Window Competition ends today, racking up over 2,000 votes! Thank you to all who stopped by to check out the windows, support our local merchants, and voted for their favorite displays. The winning window and their charity will be announced soon!

Please continue to support our Market Square businesses throughout the season and into the new year! Check out business directory here.

Transformation

Downtown Community Welcomes Three New Small Businesses

These new merchants have joined a growing list of small retail  offerings in the Golden Triangle 

In December, the PDP welcomed a new coffee shop, a cafe, and a florist to the Central Business District. Origin Story Coffee, Ruckus Café, and Confleurtti are the latest of 19 new businesses that have opened in Downtown this year. All three local enterprises received support from economic development initiatives spearheaded by the PDP: the Downtown Rent Abatement Program and Project Pop-Up. Both programs are designed to activate vacant retail spaces and strengthen Downtown’s growing small business community. 

On Tuesday morning, the PDP hosted a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting event with Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and Dan Gilman, who was representing Mayor-Elect Corey O’Connor, along with PDP leadership and Downtown stakeholders. The event provided an opportunity for members of the community and the media to tour each of the new locations and meet with shop owners and staff.

Please join us in welcoming our newest neighbors!

Confleurtti 
208 Fifth Avenue 

https://www.confleurtti.com/

Confleurtti is a multifaceted floral studio founded by Pittsburgh native and Carlow University graduate Ashleigh Nixon, who has been building the business for five years. This pop-up marks her first solo storefront location. The studio offers fresh daily bouquets, a floral-focused gift shop, hands-on workshops, and on-site floral preservation services. Workshops will include seasonal bloom bars, homecoming and prom floral sessions, and events designed for a wide audience. 

Origin Story Coffee  
309 Smithfield Street 

https://www.originstorycoffee.org/

Origin Story Coffee, led by Christian Watts, relocated to Pittsburgh from Asheville, NC in 2025. Designed to be a true “third space” for Downtown, the shop blends the warmth of a neighborhood café with the creative energy of pop culture and comic book storytelling. The concept fosters a welcoming environment centered on high-quality coffee, personal connections, and community-building, a place where anyone can feel inspired and be part of a larger narrative. 

Ruckus Cafe  
625 Liberty Ave 

https://www.ruckuscafe.com/

Ruckus Cafe is more than a café; it’s a place where coffee, music, food, and art intersect. From the suburbs to the city center, owners Daryl Kuczynski and Christine Rauktis are excited to bring the community-forward approach of their successful Shaler cafe and event space to their new location on Liberty Avenue.