Thanks to the rising tide of redevelopment, New York's legal graffiti walls are disappearing. But the art form's pioneers rarely asked for permission to practice their art. Might the city see a return to the anarchic environment of the 1980s?
"The gradual loss of [legal graffiti] walls, like last week’s sudden whitewashing of 5Pointz in Queens, has street artists wondering where they — especially younger, less established artists — will be able to paint," writes David Gonzalez. "For J. J. Ramirez, an 'original school writer' whose tag, Mico, covered subway cars and walls starting in the late 1960s, the implications are clear."
“The whole thing boils down to class warfare,” Mr. Ramirez said. “People all over the world are wondering why they did that to 5Pointz. My answer is, why not? Do we really think some landlord is going to give a damn about the culture of the working class? This was an art form invented by the children of the working class, not children with last names like Trump or Rockefeller.”
“There are hardly any spots left in the city for graffiti writers,” Wilfredo Feliciano, 47, said. “It’s going to mean that everybody’s going to be fighting for space. And you know what happens if they don’t have space to express themselves.”
FULL STORY: As Legal Graffiti Walls Disappear, Street Artists Ponder Future
Graffiti Wins Protected Legal Status in New York
A landmark judgement potentially paves the way for graffiti to be protected under the Visual Artists Rights Act.
Covert Coating Destroys NYC Street Art Mecca
In advance of its demolition to make way for a luxury condominium development, the abandoned brick warehouse turned world-renowned street art canvas known as 5Pointz was given a new coat of white paint overnight, shrouding its celebrated graffiti.
A Piece of New York's Cultural History Prepares for the Wrecking Ball
Karen McVeigh reports on 5Pointz in Long Island City, a public mecca for hip hop and graffiti artists, and its uncertain future.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.
Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.
Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service