G20 Summit to be held in Pittsburgh in September

AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs announced in his press briefing Thursday that the next G20 summit will be held in Pittsburgh in September. 

The G20 summit that was held earlier this year in London where President Obama met with leaders from other G20 nations to discuss the world economy.  The London summit meeting was a success as the G20 nations reached consensus on the flagging world economy.

The September G20 summit will focus on building a new green economy and it was for this reason that Pittsburgh was chosen according to Kevin Evanto, a spokesman for the county's Chief Executive, Dan Onorato.

Pittsburgh is a post-industrial city that has made a comeback from a severe economic decline after the demise of its steel industry economy in the 1970s and 1980s.  It has been successful in efforts to build a new economy by investing heavily in education and health. 

During the September G20 summit meeting, the city can showcase how it not only reversed its post-fossil fuel economy, but also revitalized the city's environment.  Pittsburgh cleaned up its rivers and its landscape from the decades of environmental abuse from steel-making. 

The G20 meeting in Pittsburgh will provide the city with a temporary economic boon as well as serve to rebuild Pittsburgh's reputation as a thriving modern city.