São Paulo's Clean City Law under threat from LED billboard project
The Boulevard São João project has received the green light from São Paulo's Commission to Protect the Urban Landscape. This initiative aims to adorn four buildings at the junction of Avenidas São João and Ipiranga with LED screens, reminiscent of Times Square in New York. Such a move poses a challenge to the city's Lei Cidade Limpa (Clean City Law), established in 2007, which strictly governs outdoor advertising and has been lauded for highlighting architecture and promoting street art, including pieces by Osgemeos. The author contends that the return of flashy advertisements would turn buildings into mere advertising surfaces, negatively impacting residents' quality of life. There are calls for Mayor Ricardo Nunes to reject this proposal.
Key facts
- Commission to Protect the Urban Landscape approved Boulevard São João project
- Project covers four buildings at Avenidas São João and Ipiranga with LED panels
- Modeled after New York's Times Square
- Lei Cidade Limpa (Clean City Law) enacted in 2007
- Law led to subtler ad placements and appreciation of architecture
- Street artists Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo (Osgemeos) gained prominence
- Polls show majority of São Paulo residents approve of the law
- Mayor Ricardo Nunes is urged to reject the plan
Entities
Artists
- Gustavo Pandolfo
- Otavio Pandolfo
- Osgemeos
- Eduardo Kobra
Institutions
- Commission to Protect the Urban Landscape
- Monocle
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Avenida São João
- Avenida Ipiranga
- New York
- Times Square
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Seoul
- South Korea
Sources
- Monocle —