Junk Mail of the American Highway: Billlboard Pollution
Free Press
In the United States today,
500,000 billboards line our federal highways alone — and that total is
increasing by thousands each year. Hundreds of thousands more inundate
the streets of our cities and towns. Called “visual pollution,” “sky
trash,” and “the junk mail of the American highway,” uncontrolled
billboard propagation quickly destroys the distinctive character of our
communities and the countryside.
By
enacting tough billboard controls, communities can regain control of
their visual and natural environment as well as preserve their
distinctive character. Excellent alternatives to billboards —
wayfinding signs, logo signs, and tourist-oriented directional signs —
can help travelers locate local businesses and are minimal in their
visual impact.
Learn More
The following books and reports may be valuable in gaining an understanding of this issue and the activism surrounding it.
Culture, Inc.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Expression
Herb Schiller's classic scathing critique of corporate attack on public spaces of all kinds.
'Public Service' Billboards: Signs of an Ulterior Motive
In the
vast majority of cases, donations of free billboard space to charity
are part of a calculated strategy to undermine local, state, and
national efforts to control billboards.
Billboard Control is Good for Business!
Despite
billboard industry claims to the contrary, communities and states that
enact tough billboard controls enjoy strong economic growth.
(Click here to learn more)
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