THE GOODLANDS: An Asset-Based Approach to Community Revitalization

In the summer of 2000, Centro Nueva Creacion created the Goodlands Photography program to counter negative misconceptions of North Philadelphia as the “Badlands”.

North Philadelphia has been stigmatized by the media for years as the “Badlands”-a region ridden by drugs, crime, and poverty. This image of our community as an unsafe and undesirable place to live takes a toll on the people that live here, particularly the young people.

Centro students work with professional and university student photographers to learn about the mission of the Goodlands Photography:

• The Goodlands® Photography gives young people a positive means to focus upon the many assets of their neighborhood.
• Through photography, our students are able to capture the energy, life, and vibrancy of the Latino culture imbedded in their neighborhood.
• Furthermore, they are able to share their image of their community with others.

Former Executive Director and long-time Photography Teacher, Brady Sanders has said, “The image-making process becomes an outlet for exposing countless hidden truths…our hope is that these images will offer a new perspective on the West Kensington and Fairhill neighborhoods of North Philadelphia.”

Over the years hundreds of young people in the Goodlands® have been able to connect with the larger Philadelphia community through exhibitions of their work. Their vision of their community is evident in their photographs.