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Pittsburgh City Council

First phase of the permitting overhaul is held at the administration’s request.

Written by Amy Whipple

A bill that would take the first step to overhaul Pittsburgh’s permitting system was held by council at the mayoral administration’s request.

At the beginning of this year, Mayor Corey O’Connor signed an executive order to revise the city’s permitting process to make it more predictable and efficient. Doing so requires a comprehensive review of every aspect of the system. 

The review includes the city’s zoning codes. The first phase addresses updates to the code and map as proposed by the administration. The Planning Commission made a positive recommendation on those updates in July, and they received a public hearing on Oct. 13. 

The changes largely address typographical errors, simplify height requirements and update department names. It also removes redundancies and outdated sections such as the one-year Bed and Breakfast Problem Solving Task Force that was established in 1999.

According to the legislation, later phases will include a “comprehensive overhaul” of the code and adopting a system for regular maintenance of it. 

The bill was discussed during council’s Oct. 14 committee meeting which held it back rather than taking a preliminary vote. Council Member Erika Strassburger of Squirrel Hill North, who shared the request, did not say why the administration asked for the hold.

Connections to this story

Elected officials:
Erika Strassburger
Governments:
Pittsburgh City Council
Public meetings:
City Council · October 13, 2026
Sources:
Ordinance 2026-0834 — amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine, Zoning Code, Article I, Introduction and Establishment, Chapter 901 General…

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