Genk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Genk, Mayor Wim Dries encourages positive street art and trains city guards to spot harmful messages. The city has also created legal graffiti walls to promote creativity and engage the community.
In Genk, city guards are learning how to understand street messages like stickers and graffiti. Officials mentioned that this training helps them tell good art from messages that could be a problem. They watch for these signs and report them to city services. The city decides if the art should stay or be taken down.
According to Mayor Wim Dries, support positive street art. Genk has legal graffiti walls where artists can showcase their work. These walls are in places like Hooiplaats near the parking area and skatepark. The city wants to encourage creativity while keeping public spaces neat.
“It can be about very nice street signals, such as art, for example,”
Explains Mayor Wim Dries (CD&V).
How is Genk balancing street art and community safety?
According to officials, not all street messages are good. Some can be offensive or harmful. City guards are trained to find these bad messages and report them quickly. They said that this helps Genk support street art through legal projects and workshops. They mentioned that for example, they have graffiti sessions for local groups like HBO Nursing Genk employees. The city wants to encourage creativity while keeping the community safe.
Mayor Wim Dries (CD&V).
“We also have graffiti projects ourselves. But sometimes you also come across polarising messages.”
In Genk’s Bret district, there is an electricity substation that shows the number “1312.” These numbers stand for the phrase “ACAB,” which means “All Cops Are Bastards.” This saying is often seen in graffiti and shows negative feelings about the police. Mayor Wim Dries is worried about these messages.
He said,
“We prefer not to see those kinds of messages because they call for action. The city wants to quickly find and handle these messages to keep peace in the community.”
According to Mayor Dries, the city understands that some street messages show important social issues, like the Palestinian cause. He says it is important to notice these messages. He wants to learn more about what people think.
He mentioned that community guards will talk to residents to understand why certain stickers or graffiti are used. By asking about these messages, the city can see what matters in different neighbourhoods. This helps the city address concerns and create a government that listens to the community’s needs.
