This article explores various sociocultural aspects of graffiti, and examines municipal administrative responses to its occurrence. It is argued that the diversity of graffiti — in terms of its authors, styles and significance — poses a number of problems for agencies attempting in the first instance to classify graffiti (as “crime” or “art”) and in the second to control its occurrence (whether to “eradicate” or “permit”). Drawing on discussions with local council representatives and on interviews with graffiti artists themselves, the article challenges the stereotypical view of graffiti artists as immersed in cycles of vandalism and/or gang violence. Instead, the article brings to light the complex and creative aspects of graffiti culture and suggests that it is possible (indeed necessary) for regulatory bodies to engage with and promote graffiti culture and that, further, such engagement and promotion need not be seen as authorising a profusion of graffiti related activity across communities.
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