An article examining street art's role in cities, using the example of a Philadelphia mural to illustrate how street art has been traditionally misunderstood as merely decorative rather than a more complex cultural phenomenon.

The Conversation

'We dreamt an orchard this way' is a mural designed by Gina Kim for the AAPI Porch Light mural series. It was painted by Kien Nguyen with assistance from Lucía Michel, and can be found on the second floor of the Vietnam restaurant in Philadeplhia's Chinatown. It is part of the Philadelphia Mural Arts programme. roamer.rat/Shutterstock
For years, our understanding of street art has been incomplete. Some people reduce it to decoration, a tourist attraction, or a form of urban cosmetic enhancement.