Comparative Analysis of Urban Street Art in Europe and Asia

Thesis Abstract

Urban street art functions as a dynamic cultural barometer of metropolitan identity, yet comparative scholarship between Europe and Asia remains fragmented by methodological and contextual silos. This study addresses the problem of uneven understanding of how regional socio-political histories, urban governance, and transnational art movements shape street art practices, reception, and policy implications across these two continents. The aim is to elucidate similarities and differences in stylistic trajectories, thematic repertoires, and public engagement with street art, and to theorize the mechanisms by which urban spaces mediate street art’s legitimacy and visibility. Specific objectives are (1) to map typologies of street art across five major cities in Europe (Berlin, Barcelona, Paris, London, and Lisbon) and five in Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Singapore); (2) to examine the influence of governance structures, permit regimes, and policing on production, visibility, and destruction of works; (3) to analyze thematic emphases such as sociopolitical critique, urbanal aesthetics, and commodification through a cross-regional lens; (4) to investigate audience reception, community engagement, and tourism-driven impacts; and (5) to develop a cross-cultural framework for evaluating street art as a form of urban cultural production with policy and design implications. Methodologically, the study adopts a mixed-methods design combining comparative content analysis, thematic analysis, and inferential statistics. The population comprises publicly accessible street art sites and licensed murals in the selected cities, augmented by 400 interview transcripts from artists, gallery curators, municipal officials, and local residents, gathered through purposive and snowball sampling. Data collection instruments include a standardized street art catalog (coding for style, technique, scale, color palette, subject matter, and inscription), semi-structured interview guides, and public policy documents. Validity and reliability are enhanced through intercoder reliability checks (Cohen’s kappa ? 0.80) for the content coding, pilot testing of interview protocols, and triangulation across visual data, policy texts, and stakeholder perspectives. Data analysis employs a multi-layered approach (i) quantitative content analysis to generate cross-regional typologies and frequency distributions, (ii) ANOVA and MANOVA to test regional differences in thematic emphasis and visibility measures, and (iii) thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke to interpret interview data, complemented by a grounded theory approach to identify emergent concepts. A conceptual model integrating Bourdieu’s habitus and field, Halsey’s urban aesthetics, and the participatory governance framework guides interpretation, with a situational critique informed by Legitimacy Theory to assess public acceptance. Expected findings indicate nuanced regional differences European cities exhibit higher acceptance of political critique and longer-term mural projects supported by municipal programs, whereas Asian cities show rapid production cycles, higher emphasis on urban spectacle and digitized dissemination, and stronger state-led or corporate sponsorship influences. The study anticipates that policy environments and governance legitimacy mediate the balance between artistic autonomy and public order, influencing both regional aesthetic vocabularies and tourist economies. The contribution to knowledge lies in delivering a robust, cross-continental framework for understanding street art as a situated urban practice that intersects design, policy, and everyday life, with transferable insights for city designers, cultural policymakers, and arts scholars. The conclusions are expected to advocate for integrative governance models that recognize street art as a legitimate urban design practice, promote inclusive community engagement, and balance preservation with experimentation. Recommendations include developing standardized cross-city permit and inventory systems, fostering community-led curatorial platforms to enhance local legitimacy, and embedding street art within urban design guidelines to support sustainable creative economies while safeguarding cultural heritage.