San Diego is weighing a bold new proposal: for the first time, the city could allow digital billboards in exchange for removing older static ones. Supporters see it as a smart revenue move that modernizes the city’s advertising infrastructure. Critics, however, warn it could compromise the visual character of San Diego’s neighborhoods.
The proposal, spearheaded by Councilmember Kent Lee and supported by several colleagues, aims to generate an estimated $3 million annually by permitting up to 15 digital billboards across the city. In return, roughly 75 older billboards—many of them aging and placed in awkward or residential locations—would be taken down. The plan would focus these new, two-sided electronic signs in high-traffic commercial areas, limiting brightness and ad changes to every four seconds.
Proponents say this is a win-win: the city gains a steady revenue stream while eliminating outdated eyesores that currently clutter the urban landscape. With a $2.2 billion annual budget and mounting fiscal pressures, every bit helps, they argue. And some point to other California cities, like Oakland and Murrieta, that have recently struck similar deals with billboard companies and seen millions in return.
However, not everyone is on board. Advocacy groups like Scenic San Diego fear digital billboards will bring unwanted “visual blight,” with some likening the effect to Times Square. Others are frustrated by the city’s approach, which bundles the necessary municipal code changes into a broader amendment package, potentially minimizing public debate. Critics also raise concerns about precedent—if the city opens the door to digital signage now, what’s to stop further advertising creep in the future?
Opponents also argue that the projected revenue, while useful, is marginal compared to the city’s total budget and warn that cities in financial distress are more vulnerable to deals they may later regret.
The plan is still in its early stages, with public hearings expected later this year. In the meantime, San Diegans will have the chance to weigh in. Whether you’re excited about modernization or wary of aesthetic trade-offs, one thing is clear: the debate over digital billboards is just heating up.
What do you think — are digital billboards a bright idea or a visual distraction?
