Free Standing Billboards in a Road Landscape: Their Visual Impact and Its Regulation Possibilities (Lithuanian Case)

Abstract

Free standing billboards have a significant negative visual impact on the landscape. In the majority of foreign countries construction of free standing billboards is regulated by various legal instruments, guidelines and control manuals. In Lithuania the construction of free standing billboards considering their visual impact is poorly regulated by juridical and spatial planning means. Taking this situation into account the paper aims to review main problems of regulating free standing billboards construction in Lithuania, to assess their impact on the landscape, to present foreign experience in solving these problems and to provide methodological guidelines for regulation of free standing billboards construction considering their visual impact. The proposed stages of the assessment of free standing billboards visual impact are the following: analysis of the landscape spatial structure designating visual spaces perceived from separate road sections, analysis of the possibilities of free standing billboards layout designating visual spaces protected from free standing billboards construction and visual spaces as free standing billboards construction areas, establishment of the possible visual contrast level of free standing billboards and establishment of free standing billboards location in a visual space and a visual contrast character according to the SID theory and results of the visual space evaluation according to the criteria of vitality, complexity, compositional harmony, expressivity, uniqueness, functionality and meaningfulness.

Visual Impact Assessment of Free Standing Billboards in the Road Landscape near Elektrėnai (Lithuania)

“…The proposed stages of FSB visual impact assessment are the following: analysis of landscape spatial structure designating visual spaces perceived from separate road sections; analysis of FSB layout possibilities designating visual spaces protected from FSB construction and visual spaces as FSB construction areas; establishment of possible visual contrast level of FSB and of FSB location in visual space and visual contrast character according to SID theory and the results of evaluation of aesthetic potential of the visual space [6], [10]. These guidelines can be used in preparing special plans of FSB construction in urban and suburban landscapes.…”

“…Visual spaces are spaces which are directly perceived as integral formations from any observing point located inside them [5], [15]. The size of them according to the viewing radius can vary from 5-10 metres to several kilometres considering the structure of the Lithuanian landscape [6].…”

“…The restrictions are based on the negative effect of outdoor advertisement to the road users (e.g. distraction or disorientation) and the negative impact on landscape (i.e., landscape visual pollution) [6]. For example, the regulation of FSB construction is very strict in Denmark, Finland, and Scotland.…”

“…Altogether, the Western European experience dealing with FSB construction issues does not fully reflect the situation in our country. FSB construction, if not prohibited, is strictly limited and regulated, and the FSB size does not reach the "giant" FSB scale [6]. Therefore, in order to solve specific problems, experience of other countries (i.e.…”

“…Considering the situation in our country and worldwide experience of FSB construction regulation, methodological guidelines for regulation of FSB construction taking into account their visual impact were created [6]. The guidelines are a part of the Landscape Guidelines for the Roads and Railways of National Significance [10] which is a manual set to fulfil the requirements of The European Landscape Convention [4], to broaden knowledge on this subject and to integrate landscape issues into all matters that influence the state and the future of landscape.…”