Overview of the issue

Spaces within the City of Indianapolis and Marion County have regulations and ordinances in place to foster, maintain, and protect an inviting visual environment. These include reasonable limitations—though not an outright ban—on billboards and other outdoor advertising. Many cities across the country, with whom we compete for talent and business, restrict billboards in similar ways. Our neighbors to the north in Carmel also prohibit digital billboards and also enforce strict standards for outdoor advertising.

This does not stop billboard companies from continuing to push requests for exceptions—often in the form of variances—to these protective measures.

The fight on this issue continues as long as these companies continue to feel empowered to chip away at Indianapolis' established policy.

Articles & news

  • HUNI Supports Prop 349, Urges Compromise Between City and Billboard Lobby

    A large billboard, shown blank, creates distractions and visual pollution in an urban environment.

    HUNI urges the City to pass Proposal 349, 2024, which represents a compromise between the City of Indianapolis and the outdoor advertising ("billboard") industry lobbyists—as requested by the state legislature.

    After vigorous and numerous conversations with the City, several large Neighborhood Organizations agreed to the Prop 349 Compromise language in order to stave off further state legislation that would almost surely erode Indianapolis' billboard regulations so we can maintain home rule.

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  • Billboard request poses threat to historic neighborhoods

    A photo showing an excessive amount of billboards and outdoor advertising everywhere in sight.
    Billboard and outdoor advertising companies continue to push aggressive requests that violate standards designed to foster and protect an inviting visual environment within our City. You can help! Stand with historic neighborhoods by opposing these recent variance requests made by the advertising companies to the City's Board of Zoning Appeals.

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  • Senate bill SB-142 Threatens Marion County Sign Ordinance

    The January 26, 2015 MEDC meeting.

    There is proposed state legislation to subvert existing regulations established to protect the scenery, culture and vehicular safety of our community. For many years, HUNI, alongside fellow neighborhood organizations, has served at the forefront of the fight to keep Indianapolis free of the clutter and vehicular safety concerns posed by too many billboards and any digital billboards.

    Read more

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