John Fetterman : The Invested Mayor
Monday, October 26, 2009 at 2:13PM 
John Fetterman is the hulking, tattooed and impassioned mayor of Braddock, PA, a tiny town ten miles from downtown Pittsburgh. Braddock was built around the steel industry: vintage pictures show a thriving downtown area boasting 30 tailors, 5 banks, 51 barbers in their community. Over the last few decades, the town has imploded and now none a single one of those businesses remain.
The town is incredibly depressed: the median price of a home is $5200 and the average annual salary is $17,500.
What can be done to stabilize a community that’s lost 90% of its population and rebuild successful community? Fetterman chose to focus on the community that remains. Under his leadership, the town has focused its efforts on youth employment, opening playgrounds, and bringing green spaces and arts back into the area. Urban agriculture is helping to green up public spaces and his team has worked to introduce neighborhood artwork and re-purpose abandoned homes into foster care facilities.
Regular Braddock Block Parties have a strong community flavor; often bringing families together for holidays since so many can’t afford to celebrate at home. One popular event is arm-wrestling: if you can beat the Mayor, you win his paycheck! And new businesses have opened in town, such as the Transformazium, a collective art show and Fossil Free Fuel, which converts cars to biodiesel and offers a training program in how to do so.
Fetterman states that when he took over in 2006, 5-6 homicides a year were being committed in a community of less than 3,000 people. There’s been no murders in the past 18 months and crime overall is going down.
Fetterman was shocked to learn just days ago that he was on the cover of the Atlantic; that same week he learned that Braddock’s biggest employer was shutting down, which is going to devastate the town on many levels. An emotional Feteterman said he was not sure what the future of Braddock holds. Something tells me he will continue to fight to make it brighter for the people who live there and in doing so, set an example for many similarly decimated towns across the country.
American Stories, art, community, sustainability in Pop!Tech 2009
Reader Comments (4)
Every one remembers that humen's life is not very cheap, however different people need cash for various stuff and not every person gets big sums cash. Therefore to receive fast home loans or commercial loan should be a right way out.
Thats amazing work. I love the organic feel to your ink work. Its always so lively and full of energy. I vote for more videos! replica designer shoes
City council isn't going to help Braddock by being set in old ways. Aging populations hold river towns back. They don't want to let go of what used to be. They can't comprehend the possibility of a vibrant creative community.
Air Max 90
Cheap Air Max 90
Air Max 2011
Cheap Louboutin Booties
Cheap Christian Louboutin Pumps
Christian Louboutin Boots
Christian Louboutin Sandals
Christian Louboutin Wedges
moncler vest
moncler down jacket
moncler outlet online