Pizza is delicious. Crop circles are cool. But what happens when you put them together?
Advertising
Private and Public Converge in Toronto's 'Information Pillars'
New street furniture is being installed in Toronto, but locals are already sick of it. They're called "information pillars" and are supposed to offer helpful directions and info to pedestrians, but critics complain that they're mostly advertisements.
The Globe and Mail
Chicago Sells Out: Advertising on Bridges
Critic Blair Kamin speaks out against Mayor Emmanuel's decision to allow advertising on Chicago's iconic bridges to make up a budget shortfall. Kamin calls the move "the uglification of the City Beautiful."
The Chicago Tribune
Rule to Allow More Street Furniture in Mumbai
Developers in Mumbai will be allowed to build street furniture and sell advertising space on it as part of their projects, in accordance with a new law in the city.
NDTV
The Challenge of Digital Video Billboards
Vancouver wrestles with the potent form of advertising and its impact on the public realm.
The Dependent Magazine
Dallas Considers Electronic Billboards
The city's 10-year ban on construction of new signage is challenged as the local billboard industry asks to replace traditional models with digital technology.
The Dallas Morning News
From Idyllic Nature to the Hip, Urban Landscape
Ads for automobiles have depicted their vehicles swooping through dramatic natural landscapes, but as Catherine Lutz and Anne Lutz Fernandez note, car ads have moved into the city.
The Huffington Post
Cities Banning Digital Billboards
Digital billboards with flashing and changing images are being outlawed in cities across the country.
USA Today
Digital Experiences in Public Spaces On the Rise
The rise of smart mobile technology is increasing the demand for digital interactivity in public spaces. Marketers and artists are obliging.
Advertising Age
Advertising Slump Hurts Transit
Titan Worldwide, a company that sells advertising on the sides of buses for the cities of New York, Boston and Minneapolis, is unable to pay millions of dollars in ad revenue it owes to transit authorities.
The New York Times
Despite Drama, Signs Can Have a Role in L.A.
L.A. is boiling with billboard drama right now. Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne looks at the debate and argues that signage can have a positive role in the urban landscape.
Los Angeles Times
The Planetizen News Brief - 3/12/09
4:30 minutes (4.13 MB)
Florida cans growth management, floundering retail leaves cities high and dry, and advertising takes over public spaces -- all on this week's Planetizen News Brief, airing every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City". Read, listen or download.
Coming Soon: More Ads in Public Spaces
BrandWeek says that the downturn in the economy makes more ads in public spaces 'a no-brainer', because cities get revenue and advertisers get exposure in previously untapped locations.
BrandWeek
L.A. Orders 'Supergraphics' Removed
As part of the city's drawn-out battle with outdoor advertisers, Los Angeles officials have ordered building owners to remove "supergraphic" ads plastered to the sides of large buildings.
The New York Times
L.A.'s Billboard War
L.A. is at war with outdoor advertising. Though activists have urged the city to make moves to block video billboards, it's not really clear which side is winning the war, according to this piece from Design Observer.
Design Observer
Locals Upset as Ads Invade Venice
The historic city of Venice has largely been free from outdoor advertising, but a new deal with the city allows billboards to be placed on scaffolding set up for building renovations. Locals are not very happy about the change.
The Art Newspaper
Ads in Public Places Raise Money, Concerns
In an effort to raise extra money, cities and counties in Florida have been selling advertising in public spaces. Some say it's a good way to get extra revenue, but others worry about the visual pollution of public areas.
Herald Tribune
Corner Store Signs- Are They Blight?
Dallas's city council passed an ordinance restricting the percentage of window space a storefront can use for advertisements. Council members say the signs are creating or adding to blight.
Dallas Morning News
New Train Tunnel Ads Irk Riders, Draw Revenue
Flashing lights on the walls on train tunnels that display a 15-second video to passengers have been introduced in L.A., bringing new revenue to the area's transit agency, but bothering some riders. Some say the ads intrude on public space.
The Los Angeles Times






















