WVXU: Do murals impact a city's economics, quality of life?
UC researchers embark on study of how public art impacts vitality and commerce
Urban design researcher Hyesun Jeong was interviewed by WVXU regarding a new research project that will look at how murals impact vitality and commerce in five US cities, including Cincinnati.
Hyesun Jeong, assistant professor in UC’s School of Design. Photo/provided.
Jeong, an assistant professor in DAAP's School of Design, received a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts (DEA) to expand on her prior research of murals in downtown Cincinnati.
“We tend to just neglect the impact of art and focus more on the buildings and forms," she states, explaining that prior research found increased foot traffic where public art is located such as in Over-the-Rhine which has 55 murals.
According to the article, officials tout the impact of large arts events like four-day mural and light festival BLINK — which they say drew an estimated 2 million people and created $126 million in economic impact in 2022.
Jeong will use geolocation data and field studies to determine how all types of public art influences cities. Public art can be murals, statues, museums and the like.
Photo of mural in Covington, Kentucky/Lisa Britton/UC Marketing + Brand
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Trial results support weekly buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy
March 16, 2026
Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers led by the University of Cincinnati's John Winhusen published clinical trial results in JAMA Internal Medicine that found administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than buprenorphine given daily under the tongue, one of the standard methods of treatment.
UC Board of Trustees approves $12 million for building design phase for new welcome gateway
March 13, 2026
The UC Board of Trustees approved $12 million at its Feb. 24 meeting for the design phase of a new Welcome Gateway Building for Uptown campus.
Dual-arm robot stabilizes satellite for repairs in space
March 13, 2026
Interesting Engineering highlights an aerospace engineering research project examining novel ways to keep repair robots oriented in space.