A city space measured in ads

Emanuel puts a price on the city by trading public space for ad revenue
Mayor Rahm Emanuels efforts to market the city through leasing out public space to advertisers may keep taxpayers in the clear, but is lacking guidelines and specifics that make it appear as if carelessly cheapening the city. The latest item on Emanuels budget plan, which was passed unanimously at the beginning of November, has been to raise $25 million from marketing the city. He has called for assistance from market firms to negotiate with advertisers and everything is up for grabs. From trashcans to snowplows to overpasses and city landmarks, Emanuels administration is not disregarding any proposal. His 2012 budget plan has revolved around bringing down a $635.7 million budget deficit, along with saving taxpayers $417 million all while keeping property and sales taxes static. The plan has highlighted increased city sticker and water fees, along with mental health and police station closures, which have all been met with debate. His latest bid toward advertising public space essentially strays away from Chicago taxpayers and does not affect any services the city offers, but at the same time undervalues the city by not differentiating the worth of a trashcan from the value of a city landmark. Recently, Emanuels staff gave Bank of America advertising space on bridge houses near the Chicago River. The deal in turn brought in $4,500 of revenue, according to city officials. The space is only being leased out for a month, making room for another advertiser to take advantage of the space if Bank of America refuses to extend their contract. The deal drew criticism for devaluing the citys beautiful architecture.

Although Emanuels administration has a put a price on public space, the benefits for taxpayers exceed any public concerns. With that being said, there are innovative solutions to the plan, which can keep the citys integrity at a high. Guidelines should be set concerning what each space costs and adhering to those set prices by making terms non-negotiable. Emanuels measure is definitely innovative, but keeping advertisers at a distance will only keep his public image stronger. The administration should also encourage advertisers to be creative and innovative to stray from polluting the city with billboards. They should also place advertisements in public space strategically. The advertisement should correlate with the area its in. This way it is not random and careless. Advertisements can be in the form of art, rather than straight to the point marketing. This way can even benefit the advertiser.