The city of may be about to live a radical change in its urban look. It approved, in the first vote, a bill that flexes the rules of – legislation in force since 2007 that became known for removing billboards, standardizing signs and turning the landscape of the capital. If it is definitively approved, the new text authorizes the installation of LED panels on large roads, such as Paulista Avenue, Ipiranga’s intersection with São João and even in tumbled real estate facades. The proposal also releases advertising on walls, viaducts, catwalks, tunnels and even in mobile phone charge and parklets structures. Another relevant change is the permission of multiple ads for property, including bright, something vetoed by current rules. The justification of part of the councilors is to modernize the visual communication of the city. For the author of the project, Councilman Rubinho Nunes (União Brasil), it is about “updating the law without losing its spirit”, allowing São Paulo to follow international trends. But urban planners, former managers and heritage experts warn: the risk is that the capital is taken over by excessive announcements, lights and visual disorder that marked the urban landscape before the law. Since its inception, the Clean City Law is a world reference. The removal of more than 15,000 billboards and the reordering of advertising were praised by urban planners from various countries. The city has gained new contours – with exposed historical facades, less visual stimuli and greater sense of order.
With flexibility, part of this gain can be lost. The proposal allows up to 70% of the facade of historical buildings to be covered by advertising. For critics, this can hurt the cultural heritage and erase symbolic elements of the city. There are other ways to innovate without compromising the urban landscape. Visual pollution has direct effects on mental health, well-being and even the safety of those who live and circulate in the city. Studies indicate that excess visual stimuli increases stress levels, mental tiredness and inattention – especially in traffic. In addition, visually disorganized environments reduce safety perception and impair real estate appreciation. Excessive signs, poorly installed plates and bright panels can disfigure architecture and negatively affect the identity of the neighborhoods.
What other cities say
São Paulo is not alone in the debate. Several cities around the world have already adopted rigid rules to control visual pollution:
- Paris prohibits outdoors in central areas and limits nocturnal lights.
- London imposes restrictions on historical areas and requires rigorous licensing.
- Geneva vetoes ads that disharmonize the urban environment.
- In the US, the state of Vermont completely banned outdoors since 1968.
- In Brazil, cities such as Curitiba, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte continue with their own legislation, usually inspired by Paulistana law.
The voice of the population
Before the final vote, the City Council will hold to discuss the theme. Population participation is open and essential. Any citizen can apply to speak or send written contributions. In a city that already lives so many conflicts between public space and private interests, this is the chance to collectively decide how we want to see – and live – São Paulo in the coming years. If approved, the project can inaugurate a new era of disputes in the urban landscape. Between the brilliance of the panels and the silence of the facades, the debate is not just about advertising: it is about what we want to see in our cities.
