Beyond billboards: Part 1

Scope
Cities are gradually being pedestrianised, and the phasing out of cars means an increased requirement for convenience services. Urban mobility is now about smart phones rather than cars (which have been dubbed the 'fourth screen' by New Scientist).

The very fabric of cities has changed and they have become networked into one living and breathing smart ecosystem. 'Smart cities' will increasingly spark conversation between the city, its citizens and their favourite brands. As a result, outdoor advertising - one of the oldest forms of communication - is on the testing bench.

Accelerating urbanisation and mobile living will generate ever vaster data sets. Because of the vast swathes of data being generated, we are now in a position to better understand people's movements and interactions in the city, getting a bird's-eye view.

So, cities are smarter, denser and more connected than ever, but in this environment what will happen to the multibillion dollar industry of Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising? Following extensive research and expert interviews, Daniela Krautsack evaluates how the city might evolve in coming years and suggests an antidote to complaints around visual pollution with a pre-emptive strategy: turn OOH media into street content and cultural canvases.