Street Art as a vehicle of social innovation: the case study of Porto

Street art is an artistic and urban expression with a growing presence and importance globally, as well as in the city of Porto, Portugal. This doctoral thesis aims to explore this type of art in the urban space, specifically in the city of Porto, investigating its social impact. Thus, this research work seeks to demonstrate the value that street art and its contributors can bring to society, contributing to the study of this artistic movement and its development in Porto. Through a literature review, it is possible to observe significant development of street art in other cities worldwide, such as New York, Barcelona, and London, but also in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon. In various locations, street art has been used to foster social innovation, presenting approaches that engage local populations and promote revitalization through the creativity and intercultural communication inherent to this art form. However, in Porto, regular attention to street art is still a recent phenomenon, and to date, there are no studies on the social impact of its presence. Thus, this thesis is guided by the primary research question: How can street art function as a vehicle for social innovation in the city of Porto, Portugal? Accordingly, two main objectives are defined for the research: to examine how street art influences society, particularly in Porto; and to analyze the social impact of street art manifestations in the city. This work aims to illustrate the state and evolution of street art in Porto, as well as the perspectives of its artists, sponsoring entities, and community regarding this art form and its capacity to promote social innovation. The intercultural communication fostered by street art is explored, alongside its role as a facilitator of social innovation. Additionally, the creative process inherent in street art and how it makes this art a vehicle for social innovation are examined. The methodology used in this research involves a review of the existing literature on the main topic of the thesis—street art—relating it to social innovation, intercultural communication, and creativity. A case study was developed focusing on street art as a vehicle for social innovation in Porto, Portugal. This case study employed a qualitative methodology to analyze the information obtained through interviews with street artists, entities that promote interventions, and the community of the city, including residents, visitors, and two community groups involved in projects that promote direct engagement with street art. These interviews provided insights into the experiences of the interviewed groups with street art, and the information was transformed into quantitative results to draw conclusions and validate the hypotheses proposed. The results obtained show that street art has the capacity to exert social impact, contributing to community innovation, especially when communities are involved in its planning and/or execution process. In these cases, the observed impact demonstrates value for individual development. The communicative capacity of street art is strongly confirmed, as well as the potential of its creative process to be adapted for social innovation development. The main conclusions drawn from this research highlight the value of the work of artists and entities, as well as the initiatives they can develop in Porto city, contributing to community revitalization, empowerment, self-esteem, and social inclusion. Opportunities for closer engagement between the community and street art are emphasized, along with its potential to foster a greater openness to the impact proposed by this artistic expression, and an increase in employment opportunities for artists. The conclusions presented contribute to the study of the street art field and its societal impact while encouraging the development of street art in Porto for the benefit of society. Finally, based on the results obtained, new study subjects are suggested.