Sharon and I used to photograph the Graffiti on the flood wall in St.Louis, Mo. once a year or so, the area finally got so bad we quit going, punks looking to snatch and grab, it was actually quite an attraction for a while.
While I didn't approve of all of the Street Art 99% was very well done and looked a damn site better than the stark concrete wall, And it didn't cost the city anything.
Thanks for your post, Manglesphoto. I understand your sentiment. I don't agree with much of the message depicted in urban art as a whole, but I do find most of it quite interesting photo ops.
Our suburb of Kansas City, Roeland Park, has some creative urban artists who have created a mural running alongside one of our streets. Very colorful and expressive of the surrounding culture!