Tag Archives: public space

More Bad Calls from the NY MTA

By Steve Lambert | Published: December 22, 2008

The New York MTA, in collaboration with CBS Outdoor, wants to cover the windows of subway cars with advertising. This story at the NYTimes Cityroom blog is peppered with rationalizations from the MTA. Here’s one of my favorites: “[T]ransit officials say that advertising revenue is not the main motivation for the program.” (Transit officials, not [...]

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NYT: City Room Blog – Ad or Art? Chanel’s 2.55 vs. Zoning’s C5-3

By Steve Lambert | Published: October 20, 2008

Vinyl billboard blankets have been draped over all kinds of buildings, but they’re not usually found obscuring the glittering luxury outlets along East 57th Street. Chanel, however, has done that very thing: hanging a big piece of vinyl over its building at No. 15, promoting Mobile Art, an exhibition by the architect Zaha Hadid that [...]

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Demand a Read/Write City

By Steve Lambert | Published: October 3, 2008

This is graffiti: it’s spray paint it’s done without permission on someone else’s property it’s illegal politicians hate it It’s the expression of a citizen (or small group of citizens) in public space speaking to fellow citizens. Anyone, willing to take the legal risk, can do it. This is advertising: it’s printed vinyl it’s done [...]

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Sorry Amber, for Calif. Republicans you’re just not as important as this precious, precious money.

By Steve Lambert | Published: October 3, 2008

The L.A. Times is reporting Clear Channel has its eye on 674 state owned digital billboards on California Highways. The billboards were installed to alert drivers to road hazards and for Amber Alerts providing “urgent bulletins in the most serious child-abduction cases.” But now the state is listening to Clear Channel. Apparently California needs money. [...]

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In Florida, Billboards Trump Trees : NPR

By Steve Lambert | Published: September 10, 2008

excerpted from – In Florida, Billboards Trump Trees : NPR Highway 192 used to be exceptionally plain. It was lined by weed-filled ditches, with no sidewalks and poor lighting. It was drab. So the property owners voted to tax themselves $29 million to make the roadway safer and prettier. “Look at it today,” says Lizasuain. [...]

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“Bomb It” Documentary

By Steve Lambert | Published: September 9, 2008

Within the first minute of this interview with Jon Reiss about his new documentary “Bomb It” Reiss cuts to the heart, talking about the battle for public space between graffiti writers and advertising. If you don’t “get” graffiti or what the big deal about public space is, this might be the movie for you. You [...]

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Ad Creep Hits the Bike Lanes

By Steve Lambert | Published: August 28, 2008

from treehugger: We have complained before about ad creep, how the public realm is being taken over by private marketers. I don’t know if I should be happy or sad that the Egg Farmers of Canada have determined that there are enough cyclists in London, Ontario that they want to pay to advertise to them [...]

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Delete your Facebook

By Michael Mandiberg | Published: August 27, 2008

“delete your facebook its the cool fucking thing to do” & “kill your TV” written in sharpie on the wall of a Dunkin Donuts in Spring Creek on the New Jersey shore. Oh Facebook, the rebel tweens are turning on you already.

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You have got to be kidding

By Michael Mandiberg | Published: August 23, 2008

Okay, I’m going to come out and probably break with Anti Advertising Agency official policy, and say that I support ad-supported bike share programs. It is kind of making a deal with the devil, but the urban planning benefits have been demonstrated strongly. Getting cars out of the city, is worth the extra visual advertising. [...]

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Municipal Art Society – OUTRAGE! Nasty Newsracks

By Steve Lambert | Published: August 14, 2008

New video from the Municipal Art Society: YouTube – OUTRAGE! Nasty Newsracks

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Buenos Aires to Remove 40 Thousand Billboards to Fight Visual Pollution

By Steve Lambert | Published: August 12, 2008

this just in from Treehugger (thanks Sam!) (Photo: alex-s.) The Buenos Aires government and a group of advertising associations have agreed to remove 40 thousand billboards that are infracting the city’s code, Clarin newspaper informed. This represents about 60% of the total amount of billboards. This agreement is part of a government plan to put [...]

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“We’re All Going To Die,” Industry Laments . . . Again

By Anne Elizabeth Moore | Published: August 12, 2008

An article in yesterday’s AdAge titled “Ad Skipping? Just Wait. It’s Going to Get Worse.” bemoans last week’s US Court of Appeals ruling that would allow—oh, it’s bad—”network DVR” technology, essentially allowing viewers at home to watch whatever they want on cable, whenever they want to watch it, without buying any fancy new equipment or [...]

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NYC: Pandamonium

By Steve Lambert | Published: August 12, 2008

Pandamonium is a costumed, roving, street party, apocalyptic, dance, rock, battle. Saturday August 16th, Meetup 8:30 pm Union Square NYC! This comes from several trusted sources. Everything else about it is secret. Have some fun on Saturday before summer ends and it’s too cold to roam around the city dancing in a panda constume with [...]

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So why can they sell the street?

By Steve Lambert | Published: August 9, 2008

This is an amazing interview with Tom14 which illustrates the important link between street art and community. It speaks to the destruction of public space and street arts role in defying what many consider the inevitable “progression” of neighborhoods away from what community members consider their home. To interact with your environment is to stake [...]

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CBC on IllegalSigns.ca

By Steve Lambert | Published: July 12, 2008

Go Rami!

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