Street art for the neighborhood vs the neighborhood by street art An analysis of street art in within the contest for urban space in Afrikaanderwijk

Rotterdam, traditionally a working-class city, has been in constant change over the past few decades, slowly transforming into a city with more cultural facilities, and wealthier residents. Afrikaanderwijk, formerly labeled as a deprived area, is being renovated and annexed to the center by the hand of urban renovation policies. Afrikaanderwijk is becoming more welcoming and livable due to phenomenon as street art intended to rebrand the neighborhood. This dimension of the neighborhood as a capital magnet causes some tension, not all residents of this neighborhood are satisfied with these developments. Thereby this research focusses on the role of street art within this contest for urban space, by portraying the process by which street art comes to be in the district, identity the actors and their motives here in and representing the way street art is perceived by residents. The results indicate the duality of street art as a mean to claim the urban space. Organization and municipality preserve all the decisional power about street art and its formation. Motivated by a desire to improve the urban context of residents, they fail to realize positive changes for the neighbourhood. Instead of improving the place making for residents, the lack of participation denies the potential of street art in doing so. Withal resulting in a phenomenon more often linked with gentrification and blasé attitude by the residents. This research therefore shows that the role of street art in the contest for urban space is as stimulator of policy due to the lack of participation by residents.