Associated Press - November 27, 2009 9:25 AM ET

VANDERGRIFT, Pa. (AP) - More than 100 years after New York's Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted built a western Pennsylvania steel town, residents are trying to revive the community in a 21st century fashion.

Using Olmsted's original designs, they are trying to create a "green" town that will usher in economic recovery.

They want to attract people to live or shop in the quaint town of just 5,000 people - which lost residents, jobs and allure along with steel.

From bringing back green spaces paved-over for parking to harnessing electrical energy from the Kiskiminetas River, Vandergrift is investing millions in environmentally sustainable revitalization - a concept gaining popularity in Rust Belt towns that have few viable options for renewal.

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