As Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Fetterman has drawn international attention in trying to revitalize its economy. Once a prosperous town, the population and economy collapsed beginning in the 1970s with the decline of the steel industry. Fetterman moved to Braddock in 2001 to work for Americorps, and still directs the program he started, helping the dislocated youth from Braddock and the surrounding communities to earn their GED and secure employment. He founded the non-profit Braddock Redux, and following his election, initiated youth and art programs, transforming much of the town’s mostly ruined buildings and poor economy to community centers, active art space, and urban farms. Braddock has participated in working with local non-profits, a campaign partnership with Levi Strauss, and the development of green technology industries.