The effects of signboard regulation for commercial buildings: the case of a local district in the city of Seoul

Disordered commercial signboards are a key source of visual chaos in the urban landscape because signboard content is presented with a variety of forms and colors. Enforcement of signboard regulations has therefore received increasing attention. However, signboards are a significant element of the urban landscape, showcasing the regional characteristics and identity of a municipal region or city. Seoul, South Korea has implemented various signboard policies aimed at improving the urban landscape, but the effect has been unsatisfactory. In this study, the effects of commercial signboard regulation were assessed in a selected district of a Seoul municipality using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) perceptional analysis for both customers and business owners. Quantitative analysis found that overall signboard size was reduced by more than 80 percent after regulation. In addition, Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis indicates using Light Emitting Diode (LED) has a 26.4% overall cost advantage over the conventional fluorescent lamp. Notably, business owners' responses were not negative despite the smaller signboard size. After adopting the new policy, customers ranked the signboard shape as providing the most satisfaction among various subcategories while business owners indicated high satisfaction with reduced maintenance cost.