Alison Young. Street Art, Public City: Law, Crime and the Urban Imagination. London: Routledge, 2014

Abstract

Street Art, Public City: Law, Crime and the Urban Imagination by Alison Young opens the floor to debates on the current state of street art. The history of graffiti and street art can be traced back to 1950, however its artistic value, its role in creating a city image, and its legal status are still in question. In her book Young suggests changing the angle of discussion, putting it this way: “To think about the street artwork in public space is obvious; to raise questions about whether street artworks can help create a public city is rather less so.” Therefore she chooses to focus on how street art becomes a part of our daily experience of a city and how it might be beneficial for cities. She also introduces what seems to be the fruitful concept of the “public city,” which includes street art as a legal part of its everyday-ness.