Workshop 2. Public space interventions Abstract Street art, a form of local urban intervention, encounters strong oppositions from many planners. Making an imprint in public space is, for the most part, only legal if you advertise or if the municipality commissions you. By unlawfully taking up space in the city, streets artists challenge the laws and unwritten rules that make up the foundation of contemporary design and regulation of public space. Are these illegal actions a threat against an open and democratic city where public space should be accessible to everybody? Or are they prospects for a more democratic and creative public space? In this paper, street art is studied as an example to illustrate different interpretations of the right to public space, and to discuss whether the promotion of local interventions can contribute to a more democratic public space and if they can be catalysts for city development in general. Photographic mapping and interviews with street artists and planners are linked to literature on city development and public space.