Mayor Corey O'Connor ran on reforms to help spur Pittsburgh housing development, and he unveiled the first steps to implement these campaign promises at a press conference yesterday.

Why it matters: The city wants to make it easier to build to capitalize on the momentum of some growing population figures.

The big picture: The city is streamlining its permitting process and starting to update the zoning code, O'Connor said.

What they're saying: O'Connor said the goal is to make it easier for homeowners to remodel their properties, community groups to attract more housing, and small business owners to start new endeavors.

• "My goal is to see growth. … We have to meet the modern needs of Pittsburgh."

Zoom in: The policies will be rolled out in three phases.

• The first phase will be implemented immediately and includes speeding up building permits and reducing wait times to schedule hearings for projects.
• The second phase will come later and will update the zoning code, including raising maximum heights across Urban Neighborhood Commercial districts, like the Baum-Centre corridor in the East End.
• The third phase will focus on consolidating applications and building guidance into searchable portals and modernizing the city's certificate process.

Zoom out: The city will take the lead on the community meeting process, working with community groups to avoid redundancies, said O'Connor.

State of play: "When a city like New York can get you a permit in four to five weeks, and we can't, we have a problem," O'Connor said.

Go deeper

Readers have spoken — cutting the competition down to eight fish fries in the quest for Pittsburgh's best.

Context: We put 16 churches, fire halls, social clubs and more head to head via reader nominations.

Zoom in: This round, it's Community Kitchen in Hazelwood versus Croatian National Hall Javor on the North Side.

• St. Elias Byzantine Catholic Church in Munhall versus Corpus Christi Parish in Bridgeville.
• Swissvale Volunteer Fire Department versus Brother Andre's Cafe below Epiphany Roman Catholic Church in Uptown.
• Allegheny Elks Lodge No. 339 on the North Side versus St. Jude's Parish at Sacred Heart in Shadyside.

How it works: Vote in our tournament-style bracket each day this week to choose the region's best fry.

• Voting ends at 2pm, and winners will move to the next round until the champ is chosen on Friday.

Vote here!

🍦 Legendary deli and creamery Isaly's is opening a storefront in the heart of the Strip District this summer. The company is famous for serving the region's favorite chipped chopped ham. (KDKA)

🏈 The Steelers traded for former Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and signed former Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean to a three-year deal.

• The Black and Gold lost running back Kenneth Gainwell to Tampa Bay and cornerback James Pierre to Minnesota. (NFL)

⚡The state House Energy Committee advanced measures aimed at shielding Pennsylvanians from the impacts of new data centers, including a bill requiring centers to report annual water and energy use and another creating a model law for towns to regulate where and how they're built. (WESA)

A new initiative aims to ensure Black-owned businesses share in the economic windfall tied to one of the nation's largest sporting events.

Why it matters: The NFL Draft will bring tourism, national attention and spending to Pittsburgh in April. Khamil Bailey, founder of Pittsburgh-based Cocoapreneur and the Greenwood Plan, doesn't want small, minority-owned businesses left out.

Zoom in: The Cocoapreneur Market, a Black-owned business showcase hosted by Greenwood Plan, is set for April 23-25 at the Pitt Building in Downtown during NFL Draft weekend.

By the numbers: The cost to participate is $200 per day or $500 for all three days.

Flashback: Greenwood Plan purchased the building at 213 Smithfield St. in 2024 and converted it into an incubator for historically underserved Black-owned businesses and the Emerald City coworking space.

What they're saying: "This isn't about football," Bailey said. "It's about ensuring that when the city wins, everyone wins. Black-owned businesses are part of the cultural and economic fabric of Pittsburgh, and they deserve visibility and opportunity during moments like this."

What's next: Interested vendors can apply at greenwoodplan.com.

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👋 Alexis here!

Chrissy and I went to a Tall People Mixer over the weekend.

The tall picture: The event ironically took place at Shorty's on the North Shore with a minimum height requirement of 5'9" for women and 5'11" for men.

• Organizer Keona told us they were inspired by the viral Tall Tour trend on social media.

What they're saying: Chrissy, who is 5'1", reached high to ask 6'9" Matt — who was crowned tallest man at the event — the best and hardest parts about being vertically gifted.

• Hardest: Finding jeans, leg pain and getting stared at in public.
• Best: Seeing over everyone at concerts.

Keona, who is 6'2", said the hardest part for her is fitting through doors, but the best part is living in her truth.

• "Just not feeling ashamed," she said. "Walking and just knowing that you are who you are. And it's okay to be who you are."