Earlier this summer, about 150 business and civic leaders from Charlotte spent three days in Pittsburgh for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliances’s annual Inter City Visit. While in the Steel City, the Charlotte delegation visited various venues and attended discussion panels touching on topics such as education and talent development; sports and partnerships; economic development; arts and science; and more.

On August 20, ULI Charlotte hosted a panel discussion at 8.2.0 about lessons learned from the trip. Moderated by Elizabeth McMillan of Crescent Communities, the panel included Brent Cagle, aviation director for Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Irene Vogelsong, interior design director at Perkins + Will; and Keva Walton, chief growth officer with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

Some key takeaways:

• Why Pittsburgh? In 2014, a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research ranked Charlotte last among the country’s 50 largest metro areas for economic mobility. While the city’s standing in that study has been well-publicized, Charlotte residents may not be aware that Pittsburgh ranked second, behind only Salt Lake City, Utah.
  “That was the reason (for the visit),” Walton said. “They must be doing something right there.”
  “They take economic mobility very seriously, and they really want to see everyone in the community thrive,” Cagle added.
• Hubs matter: The panelists said they were struck by the lack of activity at Pittsburgh International Airport compared to Charlotte.
  “There was nobody in the airport,” Walton said. “It was almost out of a Stephen King novel — where are the people?”
  In 2004, USAirways shut down its hub at Pittsburgh International, a devastating development for the airport and the city. Since then the airport has worked to generate activity by allowing non-passengers into the airport for shopping and dining, but Cagle said it remains a cautionary tale that Charlotte should never forget.
  “It’s a nightmare scenario,” he said. “It underscores the importance and significance of being a hub. If we weren’t an American hub, our airport would be about as busy as Pittsburgh. So how do we ensure that we continue developing in the region and at the airport like Dallas and Atlanta?”
• Higher education and economic development: Vogelsong noted that Pittsburgh’s higher education institutions have historically made a concerted effort to develop research that would draw corporate interest and spark economic development. With a four-year medical school proposed for Charlotte, she said, the community needs to look ahead and lay the groundwork for new industries to develop around it.
  “The healthcare tech industry in Nashville has completely exploded,” she said, referencing a previous Inter City Visit destination.

Notes provided by Will Boye of Yellow Duck Marketing.