“We Live Here” was designed to promote liveable streets in New York Citys largest walk-to-work community. In partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation and environmental justice leader UPROSE, teen apprentice artists conducted studies on local traffic patterns and strategized ways to promote safety and respect amongst the many communities present in the neighborhood. Through this process, the youth artists created a new work of public art that explores how residents living, working, driving, and attending school along 4th Avenue in Sunset Park interact with the roads and with each other. Too often treated as a vehicle through-way for speeding drivers, 4th Avenue is also a thriving pedestrian destination, lined with schools, senior centers, churches, libraries, and retail venues. We Live Here is a collage of imagery inspired by the young peoples research and sketches, with many symbols present to encourage shared use of the streets. Unifying the message of the mural is the teams intense focus on the human presence underlying traffic safety efforts.
