Battling graffiti with paint brushes

摘要

The very thought of tackling a graffiti-ridden city strikes terror in the heart of even the most seasoned public works officials. Even after the graffiti tags are cleaned up, the battle continues. It's usually a matter of only days before it comes back—sometimes on a larger scale. But there's a different way to combat graffiti. Cities like Philadelphia have found murals to be an effective graffiti-prevention tool. Not only are the murals successful in curbing graffiti, but the murals also have turned into a tourist attraction, which generates more income for the city. The city of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (MAP) started in 1984 as part of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, which the then-mayor Wilson Goode established. Goode believed it was important to have an organization that not only eliminated graffiti, but that also worked with the graffiti writers.