Last Monday morning, my WhatsApp was full of texts, which at first seemed concerning. Then, once opened, they led onto excitement. Across these messages, there were speculations about a mural that had appeared on the side of a building along our local road. The excitement was around the artist: Banksy.
There’s nothing particularly special about Hornsey Road. It’s a busy, often congested secondary arterial situated between Archway and Finsbury Park in North London. As an urban analyst, I could talk to its spatial significance and its integration with various movement hierarchies of the area. But I can’t speak to why Banksy chose this wall to paint the mural. Perhaps he was searching for an ailing tree or a large backdrop. Regardless of his motivation, for me it affirmed the importance of allowing for the organic emergence of public art, permitting local quirks that contribute to a place’s unique identity.
Often across our cities, there’s a uniformity and homogeneity that makes it challenging to define a sense of place. Placemaking strategies can appear as a series of tick-boxes to churn through planning mechanisms. Moments such as these on Hornsey Road serve as the organic, vibrant counterpoint, transforming public spaces into canvases for community identity, allowing for local narratives to emerge. This Banksy mural, now a part of my community, exemplifies this transformative potential, highlighting the multifaceted role public art plays in urban placemaking.
As well-known, Banksy is a globally recognized, albeit elusive street artist, with murals appearing from New York to Bethlehem. As far as I know, he is not local. Nevertheless, this piece of work has already become a local focal point, drawing residents together and now fostering a sense of shared ownership. Across our local chat groups, there’s talk about urban greening, the effects of idling cars in front of two primary schools, and the pollution levels along Hornsey Road.
Good public art can attract tourists and boost local businesses, particularly in previously overlooked areas such as Hornsey Road. A captivating mural can draw foot traffic to a struggling commercial area, while a thought-provoking sculpture might become a social media hotspot, bringing new attention to a neighbourhood. Additionally, public art initiatives can serve as a springboard for urban renewal projects, breathing new life into neglected areas. By injecting creativity and vibrancy into a space, public art can encourage investment and development, ultimately, if done right, adding value to the overall quality of life for residents.
This reflection is not about everywhere having a Banksy, but rather celebrating those positive, unplanned moments that public art can bring. In most instances however, local authorities have public art policies and processes that arise from major development schemes. There is limited resource for smaller proposals to help enhance a community. it is around these opportunities that more organic forms could take shape.
Public art should be regarded as an component of placemaking and should be realised as an act of co-creation with urban practitioners, artists and, most importantly, the community. This would help to bring people together in the creative process itself, fostering collaboration and a shared sense of ownership. Public art is a powerful tool for weaving together the threads of community, creating a sense of place that is both interesting and deeply meaningful. I for one am seeing a new narrative for my community.