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.

    Updated Jan 9, 2025

    The City-County Council unanimously passed Proposal 349 on Wednesday, January 8—the culmination of a year-long process to respond to the State House Roads and Transportation Committee chair's request that the City "work something out" with the billboard industry.

    While this is a win for downtown and near-downtown neighborhoods, the work here is likely unfinished. The billboard industry still considers Indy "under-billboarded" and their special-interest lobbyists are busy applying pressure to state legislators.

    Read more

  • 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.

    Read more

  • 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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