These days they're clamouring to show their support.

On Monday, Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle helped launch the city's first official street art precinct, designed to bring new life to the CBD's once-grimy south end.

So far, six street artists have helped transform an electrical sub-station in the Upper West Side development on the corner of Spencer and Little Bourke streets, opposite Southern Cross Station. The project was curated by Shaun Hossack, founder of street art collective Juddy Roller.

Artists collaborating on the project include Smug, Dvate, Adnate, Sofles and Rone. Artist Fintan Magee is still putting the finishing touches on his seven-storey, 30-metre wide mural of a couple embracing, after Melbourne's weekend storms forced him to down tools.

But not everyone's a fan.

Chris Honig, a lecturer in street art at Melbourne University, has his reservations about the new works, saying they lack political motive.

"It's interesting the way street art has been so thoroughly incorporated into mainstream culture," he said.

Mr Honig said the punk movement began with the Sex Pistols, then moved to Offspring, Green Day - then Avril Lavigne. "These murals are kind of the equivalent of Avril Lavigne," he said.

Adrian Doyle, owner of The Blender Studios, which runs Melbourne Street Art Tours, welcomed the new murals.

"I think these large-scale productions have mostly been in other parts of Melbourne like Fitzroy and Collingwood," he said. "To bring these large-scale productions to the CBD is amazing.

"These sorts of murals ... will be to kids like the Skipping Girl was for me. They become part of the vernacular; part of the myth of the place."