Our Mission
NextGen:Pgh builds the spaces and systems that bring Pittsburgh residents into shared civic life — from the markets and gathering places that knit neighborhoods together, to the civic infrastructure that gives young people a permanent voice in the decisions shaping their city.
For over a decade, we've brought Pittsburgh together in new ways: launching the city's largest farmers market, creating public stages and festivals that turned shared streets into common ground, and building the first youth-led civic incubator in the region. Today that work has deepened into a single focus — equipping the next generation to shape what their city decides, not just who decides it.
We build civic infrastructure that lasts
We move beyond one-time programs to create permanent systems where young people participate in local government as a matter of course.
We remove the barriers to participation
Time, transportation, childcare, awareness, confidence — we design these obstacles out of civic life rather than asking residents to work around them.
We meet people where they already are
We embed civic participation in the schools, libraries, and public spaces residents already trust and use.
We center youth as builders, not bystanders
We treat young people as people redesigning civic systems, not simply participating in them.
We connect neighbors to community
From markets to gathering places to digital civic tools, we bring people together across the differences that usually keep them apart.
We serve residents of all ages — We deliver results
“NextGen: PGH has helped deliver the biggest communal innovations Squirrel Hill has seen in many years. Tens of thousands of Pittsburgh residents, including students, families, teens, and seniors have benefited from their work””