Taming murals in the city: a foray into mural policies, practices, and regulation

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, murals have become a common phenomenon in urban landscapes. They are markers of identity and can provide benefits to individuals, communities, and cities. Some murals are created sporadically, while others are carefully promoted by the establishment. Given the adoption (or co-optation) of murals as an acceptable, and even desired, municipal tool, local governments around the world have established their own mural policies. While many scholars accept murals as an important element in urban environments, the literature has somewhat neglected the policies and practices that administer them. This paper aims to fill this gap by facilitating a better understanding of mural policies and enabling future evaluations. To do so, we introduce a conceptual framework that assists in identifying, characterizing and evaluating mural policies. We then demonstrate the applicability of the conceptual framework through a case-example of Portland, Oregon.

KEYWORDS:

• Murals
• policy
• governance
• regulation
• culture

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Referring to large-scale cultural projects that involve mega-events or extensive development schemes.

2. Although many creative strategies originate as bottom-up initiatives, because of their economic potential, they have been embraced (co-opted) by local governments and private investors (Atkinson and Easthope 2009; Evans 2009; Droney 2010; Young 2012).

3. These may include mural art programs, commissioning of murals in highly tagged areas, and enabling designated tolerant areas such as ‘legal walls’.

4. Cities commonly distinguish murals from signage because, while signage is considered to be a commercial expression, murals are often perceived as a purer form of artistic parlance.

5. This can be seen in the case of 5pointz, in New York, where the property owner allowed his abandoned warehouse to become a graffiti tolerant zone.

6. This concept has been challenged in recent years when unsanctioned artworks began undergoing legalization processes, whether by the local authority or indirectly through the demand for copyright.

7. If a municipal cleaning crew spots an unrecognised markings on public facades, it does not always have the means to identify the property owner to ask if the artwork had been approved; this may lead to its removal.

8. It is believed that by reducing the benefits artists get from creating artworks (e.g. exposure and fame), they will be discouraged from creating other artwork (Halsey and Young 2002; Young 2013).

9. For example, Original Art Murals cannot be located on residential buildings having fewer than five dwelling units and cannot exceed the height of 30 feet (9.14 meters). Additionally, within the Central City Plan District (a highly visual location), they must be located on non-street-facing walls or on street-facing walls located more than 20 feet (6 meters) away from the street lot line (Portland Municipal Code title-4 2009; Portland’s Bureau of Development Services Administrative Rule ENB-13.23 2017).

10. E.g. Portland Street Art Alliance and Forest for the Trees.

11. RACC may choose artists through an open competition or invitation. It may encourage owners to pick the artist out of an online database they created, or it may outsource the process to an outside curator.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eynat Mendelson-Shwartz

Eynat Mendelson-Shwartz is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, at the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology. She is an experienced architect and town planner. She is currently conducting a cross-national comparative analysis of mural related policies which examines why and how cities are administering and governing murals.

Nir Mualam

Nir Mualam is assistant professor in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, at the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology. He is an experienced lawyer and a planner whose current research focuses on urban design, heritage policies and conflicts, planning processes, urban resistance campaigns, and planning institutions.