Abstract:
This thesis deals with urban art serving as an umbrella term for artistic practices taking place in cities, including graffiti, street art, and murals in combination with its utilization for city branding. The research delves into the single case study of Cologne Ehrenfeld as a symbolically charged neighbourhood with a high density of urban art. It elucidates social as well as spatial implications on the local subculture of urban art arising from its utilization for city branding as a marketing-oriented approach. In addition, the research delves into implications in the form of mythmaking on the neighbourhood level, accompanied with its promotion as a creative, multi-(sub)cultural hotspot. Evolving from the analysis, the thesis closes with practical policy recommendations for considerately making strategic use of urban art.
