Central City is a culturally rich New Orleans area with major jazz & Mardi Gras Indian traditions. It faces pervasive youth trauma and overall neglect contributing to suppressed property values and threatened public safety. In response, through Youth Solutions, Central City youth will learn from and collaborate with artists to design & execute creative placemaking projects. 

Youth Solutions will harness the transformative potential of neighborhood youth and local artists to address: (1) blight/physical environments of neglect and (2) pervasive youth trauma through a process that engages youth as leaders in creative placemaking interventions, while catalyzing a consciousness shift at the community level: youth are regarded as active change agents, community builds capacity to take control of local development efforts.