On-Premise Sign Regulation
by Edward McMahon
Regulation of on-premise advertising signs is one important means by which a community can assert control over its physical environment. The end result is not just a more visually attractive environment, but one in which businesses can actually communicate more effectively to their customers.
This article is also available as part of our
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From PCJ #25, Winter 1997
see also McMahon's 2011 article:
Billboards: The Case for Control.
for instructions on downloading
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| Sign clutter is ugly, costly, and ineffective. |
Read first few paragraphs of article:
When was the last time you really looked at the streets of your
community? Drive out to the edge of town. Stop at the city
limits. Now look at what you see. Is the scene pleasing? Does it
make a good first impression on visitors, or is the scene ugly
and cluttered?
Now, head downtown. Look at the streetscape along the way. Does
your community appear attractive, interesting, unique? Or, does
your town look like "Anyplace, USA?" Whatever your answer, you
know that the physical appearance of your community is
important. You should also recognize that sign control -- or the
lack of sign control -- can have a significant impact on your
community's appearance.
Sign regulation is one of the most powerful actions a community
can take to make an immediate, visible change in its physical
environment. Properly drafted and enforced, sign controls can
reinforce the distinctive design quality of the entire
community. And as I have noted in previous columns, a
community's image and how it looks often correspond with its
economic vitality. [See, e.g., Design Matters, in PCJ #21].
We need signs. We can't get along without them. They give us
direction and necessary information. As a planned feature, a
business sign can be colorful, decorative, even distinguished.
So why talk about a sign problem? The answer is obvious: too
often signs are misused, poorly planned, oversized,
inappropriately lit, badly located, and altogether too numerous.
... A good sign code is pro-business, since an attractive business
district will attract more customers than an ugly one. Moreover,
when signs are controlled, merchants do a better job of selling,
and at less cost. Indeed, studies on visual perception (like
those detailed in Street Graphics & the Law, cited in the
Resources sidebar) have shown that when the size and number of
signs are reduced, the viewer actually sees more.
Sign control is especially important to areas that seek to
increase tourism. Why? Because the more one town comes to look
like every other, the less reason there is to visit. On the
other hand, the more a community does to enhance its unique
assets, the more tourists it will likely attract.
This article examines some of the key legal, political and
practical aspects of on-premise sign regulation. Because
off-premise billboards present special problems, they will be
the subject of a separate article. See Billboard Regulation.
...
Portable signs are the junkmail of the streetscape.
The full article can be ordered & downloaded. Click lightning bolt icon at top left.