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District 2 proposes murals to curb graffiti in East Provo; residents debate effectiveness
Summary
District 2 presented a plan to place murals on culverts and other sites in East Provo to reduce graffiti. Staff and arts groups support the idea; residents raised concerns about hidden locations, gang tagging and maintenance, and suggested volunteer painting and faster removal practices.
Neighborhood District 2 presented a plan to expand a city mural program into East Provo, aiming to reduce persistent graffiti on culverts and park infrastructure while involving community volunteers and applying for arts grants.
Catherine Hall, who has led the neighborhood effort, said murals can discourage tagging and noted the board plans to pursue grant funding and city partnerships for design selection. "Murals have a tendency to, make it so people don't wanna do graffiti in that area," Hall said, and she described working with Provo Parks and the Utah County Art Board to solicit designs.
Residents and staff discussed tradeoffs. Some worried that hidden culverts used by unhoused people or gang‑style tagging might not see the same reduction in vandalism as visible murals. City staff said simpler, bold designs are easier to restore and that the Provo app provides a way to report graffiti for faster removal. Community members proposed volunteer base‑painting and involving juveniles assigned to restorative work to repair murals and reduce repeat tagging.
Next steps: District 2 will pursue grant applications (including the city art‑tax grant) and coordinate with Parks and Rec on design, maintenance commitments and volunteer opportunities; staff encouraged residents to report graffiti via the Provo City app to speed removal.
