Many cities in Europe sponsor or outright build and fund youth centers. Sometimes its just an old building owned by the city that they turn over to a youth committee to operate. The city provides funding for PA systems, utilities, and even cuts checks to the bands that play there. This has also been done in a number of towns around the United States and Canada. Now 11 million dollars sits around waiting for the next city commission to spend on parks and recreation.
Music soothes the savage breast.
Since the '70s, squatters in Europe have occupied buildings, forming collectives, and turning abandoned factories, and venues for all manner of artistic expression. In one example of this in Rome, a 17th-century fort has been squatted for nearly 10 years, and is the site of huge concerts, as well as an underground print shop, a recording studio, painting and sculpture studios, libraries and alternative bookstores. The place is truly amazing, and seems to operate just fine without the meddling of the political powers that be. The artwork makes strong socio-political commentary, and fits very well with the content of the album. However, once a few uptight mothers caught wind of this poster on their kids bedroom walls, that mother-phone tree started up.