Cultural Mapping in Street Art

A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This article is based on a systematic literature review (SLR) and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of existing research on practices related to cultural mapping processes, as well as to understand the benefits, possibilities, and experiences that may arise from the application of this methodology, specifically in urban art. This review is driven by the need to discern and synthesise the diverse range of cultural mapping applications, methodologies, and outcomes that stem from this practice, understood as a tool for preserving local cultural resources. At the same time, it seeks to explore the potential of cultural mapping in preserving the intangible cultural heritage associated with urban art.

The main research question guiding this SLR is: “How are projects, activities, or experiences related to cultural mapping characterised from the perspective of urban art?” To answer this question systematically, the PRISMA method is applied, resulting in an exhaustive review of 23 studies. The findings highlight the application of cultural mapping to a variety of urban cultural resources — such as built heritage, landscape, and historic centres — as well as to artistic expressions, namely graffiti, public art, and photography. This breadth illustrates the versatile and adaptive nature of this approach.

Research focused on graffiti underscores the importance of documenting these acts as a way of marking community interaction with urban space — an objective that aligns with the intangible aspects of this artistic expression and the valorisation of place. It is therefore concluded that this methodology holds significant potential for preserving the intangible cultural heritage associated with urban art, by safeguarding its memory through the recording of practices, meanings, and community connections that define the spaces where this expression occurs.