Materialized disagreements: interpreting urban dual language signage and murals in Northern Ireland

This paper examines the role of dual-language street signage and gable murals in shaping identity and contested space in Belfast, Northern Ireland. These urban symbols are more than passive markers; they actively materialize sectarian narratives or reinforce territorial divisions and disagreements. Through a qualitative case study approach incorporating visual analysis, observation, and photographic data, this study demonstrates how bilingual signage and murals embed cultural and political tensions into the public landscape. While much previous research has focused on their symbolic significance, this paper explores how design-based urban policy interventions could help mitigate division while maintaining historical sensitivities. Two practical interventions are proposed. First, shifting from the conventional horizontally stacked format of dual-language street signs to a vertically aligned side-by-side design reduces implicit hierarchies between English and Irish, ensuring equal linguistic representation. Second, strategically placing QR codes on public footpaths near contentious gable murals provides non-intrusive access to peacebuilding resources, allowing for digital counter-narratives without direct mural removal. These suggested interventions would offer pragmatic and non-confrontational approaches to softening exclusionary urban symbols while respecting community sensitivities and political realities.