End of four advertising screens in Zurich's Niederdorf district
At the behest of the Federal Supreme Court, four advertising screens in Zurich's Niederdorf district must definitely go: the judges in Lausanne have approved a decision by the Administrative Court against the operator City Lights.
At the behest of the Federal Supreme Court, four advertising screens in Zurich's Niederdorf district must definitely go: the judges in Lausanne have approved a decision by the Administrative Court against the operator City Lights.
City Lights installed the screens in showcases in three historic properties in Zurich's old town over the course of 2005. On the monitors, still images alternated every 10 seconds with advertisements for companies based in the buildings as well as for other stores and businesses.
But then the city intervened. After a legal back and forth, Jürg Knecht, head of City Lights, turned to the Federal Supreme Court. The court has now rejected his appeal. According to the Lausanne judges, the screens require planning permission. The monitors would emit light immissions over a large area and the light signals could also be changed quickly. This requires a permit.
In its decision, the Administrative Court had rightly protected the city's strict standard for third-party advertising of the disputed type in the old town streets. There was also no evidence of unequal treatment in comparison with similar installations outside the so-called "old town core zone" or with billboard advertising.
Last March, the Federal Court ordered the screens to be switched off as a precautionary measure. After the operating company failed to comply with this request immediately, the city had the power to the monitors switched off (see
).
City Lights installed the screens in showcases in three historic properties in Zurich's old town over the course of 2005. On the monitors, still images alternated every 10 seconds with advertisements for companies based in the buildings as well as for other stores and businesses.
But then the city intervened. After a legal back and forth, Jürg Knecht, head of City Lights, turned to the Federal Supreme Court. The court has now rejected his appeal. According to the Lausanne judges, the screens require planning permission. The monitors would emit light immissions over a large area and the light signals could also be changed quickly. This requires a permit.
In its decision, the Administrative Court had rightly protected the city's strict standard for third-party advertising of the disputed type in the old town streets. There was also no evidence of unequal treatment in comparison with similar installations outside the so-called "old town core zone" or with billboard advertising.
Last March, the Federal Court ordered the screens to be switched off as a precautionary measure. After the operating company failed to comply with this request immediately, the city had the power to the monitors switched off (see
).
