Public space or ad space?

I must confess to being of two minds when it comes to the idea of public space being used for advertising. On one hand I know that the market forces all around us necessitate a certain degree of advertising beyond print and broadcast. But on the other hand, I don't want to see advertising every time I step outside and look around.

Sao Paulo, Brazil took a step towards reclaiming public space in 2007 with a very strong billboard ban, but somehow I don't see that happening here. Free market and constitutional challenges notwithstanding.

So where does the happy middle ground lie? People want to enjoy their surroundings, companies want to advertise. Yes, advertising exists to sell products and doesn't necessarily have a social responsibility, more of a commercial responsibility, but don't the people get a voice too?

Sometimes they do. We don't want ads, we want art.