Visual Pollution: Advertising, Signage and Environmental Quality

347 Pages·2014·9.74 MB·English

by  Adriana Portella

Visual Pollution
Advertising in its new version is no longer the baroque, utopian scenario
ecstatic over objects and consumption, but rather the effect of the omnipresent
visibility of corporations, trademarks, PR men, social dialogue and the
virtues of communication. With the disappearance of the public space,
advertising invades everything (the street, the monument, the market, the
stage, language). It determines architecture and the creation of super-objects
such as Beauborg, Les Halles or La Villette which are literally advertising
monuments (or anti-monuments)[...]. Today our only architecture is just
that: huge screens upon which moving atoms, particles and molecules are
refracted. The public stage, the public space have been replaced by gigantic
circulation, ventilation, and ephemeral connecting spaces.
Baudrillard, J. 1987
Visual Pollution
advertising, signage and Environmental Quality
adriana PortElla
Oxford Brookes University, The Joint Centre for Urban Design, UK
© adriana Portella 2014
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
adriana Portella has asserted her right under the Copyright, designs and Patents act, 1988, to be
identified as the author of this work.
Published by
ashgate Publishing limited ashgate Publishing Company
Wey Court East 110 Cherry street
union road suite 3-1
Farnham Burlington, Vt 05401-3818
surrey, Gu9 7Pt usa
England
www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Portella, adriana.
Visual pollution : advertising, signage and environmental quality. — (design and the built
environment series)
1. City planning. 2. signs and signboards—design—social aspects. 3. signs and signboards—
social aspects. 4. City planning—Great Britain—Case studies. 5. signs and signboards—
design—social aspects—Great Britain—Case studies. 6. signs and signboards—social
aspects—Great Britain—Case studies. 7. City planning—Brazil—Case studies. 8. signs and
signboards—design—social aspects—Brazil—Case studies. 9. signs and signboards—
social aspects—Brazil—Case studies.
i. title ii. series
711–dc23
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Portella, adriana.
Visual pollution : advertising, signage and environmental quality / by adriana Portella.
pages cm. — (design and the built environment)
includes index.
ISBN 978-0-7546-7534-1 (alk. paper)
1. signs and signboards. 2. Public spaces. 3. aesthetics. i. title.
HF5841.P58 2013
659.13’42–dc23
2012038847
ISBN 9780754675341 (hbk)
ISBN 9781409467489 (ebk – PDF)
ISBN 9781409467496 (ebk – ePUB)
V
In memory of my father, Dr. Jorge Alberto Luscke Portella
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Contents
List of Plates xi
List of Figures xiii
List of Tables xix
Acknowledgements xxi
Preface xxiii
Introduction 1
Synopsis of each Chapter and Glossary of Concepts 3
Part I the theoretIcal Debate:VIsual QualIty
of PublIc sPaces Versus commercIal
sIgnage
1 user’s Perception and cognition of the built environment 9
Visual Quality of the Built Environment 9
The Process of User’s Perception and Cognition 14
Dimensions of Aesthetic Evaluation 16
Subjectivity and Objectivity in Aesthetic Evaluation 18
User’s Background and Evaluation of the Built Environment 18
Which Factors do Influence Aesthetic Judgements? 21
Complexity in Commercial Streetscapes: Good or Bad? 25
Symbolic Meanings that Influence User’s Judgement 36
Conclusion 39
2 consumer culture, marketing the city and urban tourism 45
City Centre as an Ephemeral Place 45
Phenomenon of Consumer Culture 49
City Centre Management and Visual Quality 54
Marketing the City and City Image 57
Urban Tourism and City Regeneration 63
Conclusion 69
3 reviewing commercial signage controls
in Different countries 73
Commercial Signs on the Appearance of City Centres 73
Branding of Public Space in the Globalized World 82
How to Minimize Visual Pollution? 88
viii Visual Pollution
Planning System and Commercial Signage Controls in
England and Brazil 92
Conclusion 117
Part II the emPIrIcal InVestIgatIon:the effects
of commercIal sIgnage on PeoPle’s
QualIty of lIfe
4 empirical Investigation – england and brazil 125
What is Investigated Here? 125
How to Define Criteria to Select Samples 126
Qualitative or Quantitative Research? 131
Methods of Data Collection 133
Methods of Data Analysis 144
Conclusion 146
5 People’s Quality of life and commercial signage
control management 149
Understanding Historic Context as a Background
for Urban Evaluation 149
Different Commercial Signage Approaches 154
Commercial Signage versus Visual Quality 160
User’s Evaluation and Signage Controls 162
Commercial Streetscapes and User’s Evaluation 163
Conclusion 171
6 user’s Preference and satisfaction with historic streetscapes 177
Studying User’s Preference 177
Studying User’s Satisfaction 181
The Best Commercial Streetscapes 183
The Worst Commercial Streetscapes 186
What does (or does not) influence User’s choice for the Best and Worst
Street? 188
Visual Pollution in a Focus Group Discussion 189
Conclusion 195
7 commercial signage and building Design: Positive
and negative factors 201
Beauty, Order and Interest 201
Colour Variation 202
Levels of Complexity 204
Commercial Signs versus Buildings covered by Signage 209
Buildings harmed by Commercial Signs 213
Commercial Signs versus Historic Buildings 217
Contents ix
Buildings and Commercial Signs that stand out first
in a Person’s Mind 219
Buildings classified as the Best and the Worst in terms
of Signage and Facade 226
Conclusion 230
conclusion: What is needed to enhance Visual Quality in historic
and commercial city centres? 239
Operation of Commercial Signage Controls 240
Physical Characteristics of Commercial Signs and Buildings 245
Common Perceptions between Users from Different Cultures 251
Theoretical and Original Contribution to the Knowledge 253
Appendices 255
References 297
Index 311