Giving Compass' Take:

• Fast Company explores what it takes for cities that have struggled economically in recent years to become sustainable — and whether the model can be replicated.

• What roles do nonprofits and funders play in the effort to develop new, tech-forward infrastructure? How can we make sure that equity is embedded in the process?

• Here's how smart cities can help restore trust in local government.

The death of the American manufacturing sector made ghost towns out of cities across America.

In these challenging times, some cities were successful at reinventing themselves and went on to forge new economies and transform their once-sprawling, empty lands into something new, something remarkable. Year after year, Pittsburgh appears on best cities for jobs lists, thanks to its burgeoning tech industry after a desperate decline following the fall of American steel. Then there are other cities, like Detroit, that have a tougher time recovering after their major industry dried up.

What is it that allows some cities to escape the “boom and bust” town narrative to become livable, workable, and sustainable? And can these models be replicated in other small, struggling towns?

Christina Cassotis, the Pittsburgh International Airport’s first female CEO, hopes that the city’s economic innovation can be felt from the moment visitors land. The airport has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to run an “innovations lab” that will test how automation and robotics can help the airport run “more efficiently, raise revenue, operate better, and improve the passenger experience,” Cassotis says.

Read the full article about how cities in the Rust Belt can transform by Vivian Giang at fastcompany.com.