Based on the use of participatory appraisal, this publication documents the findings of innovative research amongst over 40 local writers, members of the City Council's 'Graffiti Forum', and over 200 members of the public concerning: the meaning of 'graffiti'; the key motivations for the involvement of young people in the local graffiti culture, alongside perceptions of its impacts on both individual writers and wider society; the graffiti scene in Newcastle upon Tyne; possible solutions in reducing illegal graffiti within the City; the perceptions of writers concerning whether a legal site policy be a realistic and realisable solution to the local situation, and importantly, how it would work in practice; and alternative solutions to the 'graffiti problem'.