Bob Regan, author of The Steps of Pittsburgh

Bob Regan, author of The Steps of Pittsburgh (reviewed in the June 2004 New Urban News), has written a companion book, The Bridges of Pittsburgh, published by The Local History Company in Pittsburgh. Like the earlier volume, the new 182-page paperback features black-and-white photos by local photographer Tim Fabian and takes a comprehensive approach, documenting every bridge in the city. By Regan’s count, Pittsburgh, because of its steep hills and its three rivers, boasts more bridges than any other city in the world: 446 of them. Venice, Italy, which has claimed to be “the city of bridges,” contains about 400, putting it in second place. St. Petersburg, Russia, the “Venice of the North,” has 308 within the city limits. The $22.95 book includes tour maps, historical drawings, and information on some of the city’s most famous engineers, including John A. Roebling, Gustav Lindenthal, and George W.G. Ferris (better known for the Ferris Wheel, which was literally the high point of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where it made its debut).