In their latest international feature, “How Chalk Riot Is Turning Pavement into a Public Platform – And What London Can Learn,” U.S.-based mural business Chalk Riot is taking their street-level mission global—inviting urban communities, from Washington to Westminster, to see sidewalks and streets not as traffic corridors, but as shared public canvases.
With over 300 ephemeral and semipermanent creations in six countries and across the United States, Chalk Riot’s work has become a bold yet accessible model for how public art can reshape how cities feel and function. The feature explores the team’s community-rooted, women-led approach to reclaiming public space with color, story, and purpose.
“We’ve seen how just a few square meters of painted pavement can change how people feel and move in a space,” said Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, Chalk Riot’s CEO and Principal Artist. “It’s about reclaiming the street from cars in an exuberant yet practical way.”
Why This Matters: Public Art, Safer Streets, and Shared Belonging
According to Transport for London, walking and cycling trips now make up over 40% of all journeys in the city, and more than 4,000 pedestrians are seriously injured or killed each year on UK roads. In the U.S., pedestrian fatalities reached a 40-year high in 2023. These numbers demand creative, localized responses.
Chalk Riot’s painted street murals aim to:
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Help calm traffic in accident-prone zones
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Increase pedestrian engagement and time spent in shared public spaces
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Catalyze local dialogue about why better infrastructure is needed to support all road users - especially vulnerable pedestrians.
A recent mural installation in partnership with the City of Rockville, Maryland helped not only increase visibility of the newly protected bike lanes, but decreased the length of an otherwise dangerous crosswalk by fifty percent. The new “road diet” forces drivers to slow down in high traffic areas, and the artwork helps to amplify the results with bright colors and engaging artwork. “It was gratifying to hear feedback from students biking on their way to school while we were painting, they expressed that they felt safer in the bike lane and more excited to use it,” said Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, Chalk Riot CEO and Principal Artist. “The Rockville project was so special,” said Sam Hamilton, Chalk Riot Project Manager. “The completion of the mural was celebrated with a community chalk-in at the site, a speech by the Mayor, and a group walk-through of the two-block long mural. It was a real community collaboration.”
More Than Murals: Art as Process, Not Just Product
What sets Chalk Riot apart is their collaborative model. Before painting a single line, the team dives into local historical research and often invites interviews with longtime residents.
“Each mural is uniquely designed for its neighbhorhood and site.” Ritter-Soronen explained. “We design with the landscape, the architecture and the neighbors.”
This approach is a strong match for London’s emerging Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), Healthy Streets, and Green Grid efforts. As more global cities prioritize walkability and placemaking, Chalk Riot’s model is a blueprint for scalable, human-centered design.
The team also offers free and low-cost chalk art training to local peacebuilders, educators, and activists. “Art skills are not proprietary, it’s what people do with them that counts.” Ritter-Soronen added. “We love teaching what we’ve learned along the way so that others may thrive and have positive impact in their own towns.”
Reimagine Your Own Street
Whether you live in London, Los Angeles, or Lagos, Chalk Riot is inviting everyday people to start where they are, with curiosity and community.
Here’s how:
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Host a Chalk Day in your neighborhood to reclaim a sidewalk with color and story.
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Talk to your city council about integrating public art into pedestrian safety projects.
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Map your street: who uses it, who avoids it, and how it might feel different with art.
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Use what you have: chalk, tape, paint, and passion.
“If you cannot chalk in public, you can always find somewhere,” says Ritter-Soronen. “Every block can be a place for connection. Sometimes, all you need is chalk and somewhere to start.”
To learn more about Chalk Riot, access the full interview here.
About Chalk Riot:
Founded in 2013, Chalk Riot is a pavement mural business known for blending creative vision with community engagement. Led by an exclusively women and non-binary crew, their mission is to transform the ground we walk on into public platforms for safety, storytelling, and connection.
Contact:
info@chelsearittersoronen.com
Media Contact
Company Name: Chalk Riot
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: www.chalkriothowto.com
