The presence of signage in the control of visual pollution in urban areas: A case study in the M.T Haryono street corridor, Kendari City, Indonesia

Signage expanded with the growth of the city, where its presence is required because it is regarded as an effective medium for conveying commercial and non-commercial messages and is also anticipated to be one of the factors that contribute positively to a region’s image. This study seeks to determine the presence of signage, specifically advertising boards, in the corridor of M.T Haryono street, Kendari City, in relation to three factors: the impact of advertisement boards on the visual image of the area, its location, and its design. This approach is used to dig up and reveal the impact of advertising boards existence as elements and physical components of space. The results of the study revealed that the presence of advertising boards along the M.T Haryono road corridor did not contribute to reinforcing the visual theme of the area; its layout was overlapping and unclear; it did not provide clear information on the message it conveyed; its design was neither communicative nor harmonious; it lacked elements of unity with the architectural characteristics of the surrounding buildings; and its presence affected the attention of drivers.


Introduction
The city was the largest and most complex human-built structure ever [1].The growth of cities with almost no territorial boundaries is a phenomenon in the world's main cities today, including Indonesia.The emergence of cities that grow within the suburban area with the concept of sprawl results in the weakening of the support capacity of urban areas with various types of problems, such as social problems, as well as the control of the development of various physical elements of the city, which includes visual pollution that can be found in almost all of the areas of the town center, particularly in the areas of business centers.
The city and its architecture are inseparable elements.The presence of contemporary buildings with high technology is one of the distinguishing features of an advanced city.Even the building, as one of the physical elements of a metropolis, is the most influential factor in a region's visual identity.The influence is so pervasive that symbolism is typically represented by the presence of one or more buildings in a given area.
Signage, which develops as a logical result of the urban area's development, also contributes to coloring the visual quality of an area, particularly along the main road corridor that serves as the economic hub.In any case, the existence of signage is also within the purview of architectural study, which includes, among other things, signage as one of the elements that accompany the physical development of a city and as a factor in shaping the visual identity of a region.Thus, the arrangement 1263 (2023) 012009 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1263/1/012009 2 of signage in its various types and characteristics is an integral element of building and environmental policy, and its existence does not contribute to a city's problems.
On the one hand, the presence of advertising boards has a positive effect on local income and access to information about a variety of products, both services and commodities.A further positive effect of advertising boards is that they serve as the identity of buildings and commercial areas as well as a rhythm-shaping agent on outdoor corridors to prevent them from becoming monotonous.However, its existence frequently has negative effects on the city.In relation to this, [2] argued that a number of studies have concluded that the presence of advertising boards has a number of negative effects, such as a decline in the urban environment's aesthetics and the loss of a city's peculiarity.
Visual pollution means the destruction of the environment through the installation of visual materials.This can be in the form of commercial and non-commercial advertising spaces, although in many cases the commercial creative predominates.Commercial advertising can dominate the environment because every party involved can profit from the installation [3,4].Further explanations of defenses and various objects considered visual pollutants are presented in subsection 2.2.
The debate over the commercialization of public space that transcends boundaries through outdoor advertising emphasizes the potential negative effects on local quality of life and enjoyment of public space.Outdoor advertisements that are excessively annoying are frequently considered a source of visual pollution, but cities lack a standardized method for measuring their presence and local impact, so they cannot be effectively regulated [5].Outdoor media appears to conflict with the overall urban streetscape design in many urban areas [6].This suggests that the dearth of administrative guidance regarding the control of rubber is the primary cause of visual pollution.Measurement of visual pollution to inform policy is part of the solution.Appropriate diagnostic procedures must be proposed [7].
The city of Kendari, which has undergone relatively rapid physical development over the past decade, appears to be beginning to face the problem of the layout of signage: advertising boards, building names, directions, street names, etc. Particularly in the corridors of major streets in the city center and in some other new growth centers.Signage has played a role in coloring the visual image in some of these areas, to the point where it has become the most dominant element in coloring the visual aesthetics along the corridors of the city's main streets.
This study seeks to determine the presence of signage, specifically advertising boards, in the corridor of M.T Haryono Street, Kendari City, in relation to three factors: the impact of advertisement boards on the visual image of the area, its location, and its design.

Literature review 2.1. Signage definition
In the science of urban architecture, signs are understood as the forms of information and orientation of the city designed specifically as part of the eight elements of urban planning that can be called ideal if the following criteria are met: being able to reflect the visual character of the area, being able to guarantee the ability and view or have a perspective to be seen clearly, having a shape that corresponds to the building where the signage is placed, being an element that unites with the building (not an additional element), as well as uniting direct or indirect communication [8].
In the meantime, [9,10] define signage as architecturally informative or communicative visual signs in urban areas.Signage, according to [11], is a form of large-scale visual graphics designed to convey information to a specific audience.Historically, signage was known in the form of signs or characters such as a place direction indicator, a place name, etc.In addition, [12] specifically argues that signage is a signage system derived from a combination of symbols and text in high-mobility areas without reliance on limited verbal language.
Based on some of the definitions set forth above, it can be concluded that signage is a visual communication medium that conveys messages carefully and effectively in a wide range through the integration of visual language with the environment in which the media is placed.In addition to economically giving signage an advantage because it is an important part of the marketing activities of goods and services that are quite effective in the form of advertising, signage is also able to create a public image that is easy to recognize because of its uniqueness, so that it is able to survive in a person's memory for a relatively long time.

Visual pollution
Visual pollution is a term used to characterize the combined effects of disturbance, excess, and chaos of various objects and graphics in a landscape [6,13].According to [14], visual pollution is any element in the landscape, both indoors and outdoors, that is inappropriate for the location and generates an unpleasant and offensive sight.Visual pollution is natural and man-made landscape harm or disturbance that diminishes an area's aesthetic appeal [15].Another definition proposed by Weitzman, as cited by [3], is that visual pollution is the environmental devastation caused by excessive visual stimuli.
According to [15], sources of visual pollution are physical elements that restrict people's mobility on public roads, including excavation barriers, potholes, and dilapidated sidewalks.Sources of visual pollution may also include wind turbines [16], building facades [6], abandoned buildings, and street furniture [17], but they are most frequently associated with outdoor advertising as billboards [7,18].In a separate study, [14] classified four types of visual pollutants: (1) billboards and signage; (2) telephone and communication wires; (3) network and communication towers; and (4) street rubbish.However, scientific literature concentrates on the destructive effects of uncontrolled commercial advertisements, mainly billboards and signage on main street corridors.According to [19], light is also one of the factors contributing to visual pollution.Due to advancements in lighting and related technologies, light pollution has been identified as a significant environmental issue in urban areas at night.

Type of research
This study consists of qualitative research with a rationalist methodology, examining each problem based on the extant theories of scale and proportion, as well as the theories of harmony and contrast, in order to reach objective conclusions and practical recommendations.

Techniques of data collection
The M.T Haryono street corridor, which is located in the Bende urban village district of Kadia in the west and the Lalolara urban village district of Kambu in the east, is one of the main streets in Kendari City and is situated in the area of the rapidly expanding commercial and service center over the past two decades.In addition to the retail, banking, and hotel districts, there is also the Lippo Plaza Mall and the central market of Wuawua.It is also the primary connection between Wuawua CBD's area and Anduonohu CBD's area, as well as the campus of Halu Oleo University, Kendari.
The swiftly expanding economic activity and services make the M.T Haryono road corridor a very promising area for the growth and expansion of various types of billboards, particularly commercial advertising in the roads' two kilometers long corridors.Therefore, given the scope of the research area and in order to facilitate the process of data collection and the identification of advertising boards, we have divided it into several segments (Figure 1).
Quoting [13], for an in-depth understanding of the data collected using primary sources through photography walks, surveys, and direct observations, relevant documents such as Google Maps will also be used as secondary data.
Google Forms were used to collect responses from respondents via questionnaires.The method for selecting respondents and the total number of respondents refers to [20], in which respondents are determined incidentally.Participants in the survey were motorcycle and car drivers who frequently traversed the road.349 people participated in this study, including men and women of various educational backgrounds and professions, aged between 20 and 66.The number of respondents is calculated using an infinite population with a 5 percent margin of error.
A questionnaire was used to collect responses from respondents for a special study of commercial advertising boards pertaining to five aspects of the problem: 1) Can the presence of the advertising board enhance the visual character of the region?2) How the respondents reacted to the layout of the advertising boards?3) Does the orientation of the advertisement board provide an obvious indication of the message's content?4) Is the design of the advertising boards communicative, and does it have elements of harmony and unity with the adjacent architecture and building elements?5) Does the presence of advertising boards affect the attention of respondents while driving?

Data analysis techniques
The analysis techniques are performed descriptively and qualitatively by delving deeply into the characteristics of advertising that comprise the area's tone-forming element and the city's most influential visual element.The obtained data is then analyzed using a quantitative approach; percentages are used for data processing.As in [2,21], the combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques is used to facilitate the conclusion that the intersection between quantitative and qualitative methods results in an eclectic methodological approach.This method is employed to excavate and disclose the contribution of advertising boards to the visual aesthetics of the urban environment along the M.T Haryono street corridor in Kendari, Indonesia.

Overview of the conditions of existing advertising boards in the study area
Based on observations result, it is shown that the signage (commercial advertising board) along the corridor on M.T Haryono Street in the city of Kendari appears to be of varying sizes.Additionally, various types of materials are utilized for one another.This is highly probable given that the advertising design has been submitted to the market in its entirety.The current policy focuses primarily on the establishment of fees and the duration of such advertisements' display but does not address the aesthetic elements' quality.

The visual theme of the area
A city area, which in this instance is the street corridor, is anticipated to have its own visual identity.Signage, as one of the significant factors that have contributed to the development of a city, is an integral part of an entire area, so its presence is anticipated to contribute to the enhancement of the area's visual character.From Figure 2 above, it is seen that quite a lot of signage (advertising boards) of various types and sizes are installed on the face of the building.Thus, the architectural character of the buildings became invisible.Related to one of the roles of the existence of advertising boards in the M.T Haryono street corridor, i.e., as an element of the enhancement of the visual theme of the area, it appears to not give a positive image.This was reinforced by respondents' answers related to research questions about how far the existence of commercial advertising boards can strengthen the visual theme of the region.Up to 82% The presence of advertising boards reinforces the visual theme of the area.The presence of advertising boards does not reinforce the visual theme of the area 2% 17% 81% neat and beautiful less neat and less beautiful overlapping and chaotic of respondents answered that the existence of signage on the M.T Haryono street corridor did not strengthen the visual theme of the area, while 18% of respondents answered that it enhanced the visual theme of the area, as shown in Figure 3.  Based on Figure 3 above, 82% of respondents said that the presence of signage along the M.T Haryono road corridor did not reinforce the visual theme of the area.The remaining 18% said it reinforced the area's visual theme.Of the respondents who gave a response that did not reinforce the visual themes of the region, as many as 83% were in the background of student and undergraduate education.In this case, the level of education of the participants influences their perception.While age doesn't have a significant influence.

Advertising placement aesthetics
The layout is one of the factors that affect the aesthetic value, so any treatment must adhere to aesthetic principles, including the layout of advertising boards in street corridors and public spaces.Consequently, based on the results of the study depicted in Figure 2 above, it is possible to explain that the billboards in the M.T. Haryono Street corridor consist of various sizes, heights, and varieties of material.The layout appears random and irregular, so it does not characterize the implementation of a legally binding policy as a guideline for regulating its existence.This reality is very likely to occur due to the fact that some of the current advertising board displays, particularly those located in the store's courtyard, are almost uncontrollable market products.There are no clear rules regarding the layout, height, or size of the advertising boards that govern the number of billboards store proprietors may install on their shop pages.In this study, 349 participant members were have participated to assess the credibility of the advertisement board placement; their responses are depicted in Figure 4 above.
Figure 4 shows respondent opinions regarding the layout of advertising boards in the study location.The majority of respondents (81%) appear to believe that the advertising board's layout is overlapping and chaotic.17% of the participants rated the current layout as less neat and less beautiful, while the remaining 2% said it was already tidy and beautiful.Associated with the educational level, 93% of respondents who responded that the advertising layout was overlapping and chaotic were those with the undergraduate level of education.While age in this case has no significant influence.

Advertising board orientation
As depicted in Figure 2, it appears that the commercial advertising, particularly the large-scale advertising boards, that exists on the M T Haryono Street corridor in the City of Kendari is typically installed on the shophouse building, facing the street, and encompassing the building.In such a position, it actually provides less space for the target audience, particularly those who are using motor vehicles, 6% 18% 76% communicative, harmonious, and having unity elements less communicative, less harmony, and fewer unity elements no communicative, no harmony, no elements of unity to acquire information clearly about the advertisements' messages, despite their larger size.This is due to the signage's orientation, which is vertically erect toward the road.This position causes the observer's field of view to be relatively constrained, and for the observer to be able to see or read the advertisement message, he or she must predominantly face the advertising board located on the left side of the road user.This is inappropriate for those who are using the vehicle.This is the case when there are advertising boards on the opposite side of the street or on the right side of the audience.Even though the location has a relatively large viewing angle, the distance between the advertising boards and the road users is relatively large.As a result, the majority of road users (especially drivers) are unable to obtain clear and complete information about the content of the messages displayed on the advertisement boards during the day and at night.Moreover, the accompanying diagram illustrates the extent to which the positioning of the signage (commercial advertising) along the M.T Haryono Street corridor can provide clear information to respondents while they are driving (Figure 5).
Moreover, regarding the placement of advertising boards, the study revealed that 66% of respondents were unable to obtain clear information or could not fully comprehend the content or message contained on the advertising board that was installed covering the front of the building and facing the highway in an upright position both during the day and at night while they were driving.In contrast, only 34% of respondents were able to comprehend the message conveyed in the same advertisement.Eighty-three percent of respondents who were unable to acquire such clear information were at least 50 years old, with an elementary school education, a secondary school education, and a small percentage with a bachelor's degree.

Communicative elements, elements of harmony, and elements of unity
Harmony in architectural design can be interpreted simply as a visual situation caused by the harmonious interrelationship of multiple elements that evokes a psychological response in a person.In this instance, it is created through the harmony of its highs, lows, thicks, and other sizing elements.As a result, it can be combined as a combination of several elements in a consistent (logical, not excessive) manner attained via form, color, and texture, among other characteristics.
To what extent the harmonization and unity generated by the various commercial advertisements in the context of this study is related to the respondent's response to the assessment on the various elements of its formation as mentioned above.And for more clarity, see Figure 6 above.
The majority of respondents (76%) believe that the commercial advertising board along the M.T Haryono Street corridor is non-communicative, lacks harmony, and lacks unity with the character of the 41% 59% don't feel disturbed feel disturbed buildings along the road corridor, as depicted in the figure above.In addition, 18% of respondents rated them as less communicative, less harmonious, and less cohesive with the surrounding architectural character.While the remaining 6 percent of respondents felt that the presence of such advertising boards is communicative, harmonious, and meets the element of unity with their surroundings.Moreover, it can be argued that 78% of respondents who deemed the commercial advertising boards along the corridor of M.T Haryono Street to be noncommunicative, lacking in harmony, and lacking in unity with the building's character were undergraduates and students.Therefore, the level of education has a significant impact on the response.

Advertising disturbances against drivers
Based on some deductions about visual pollution presented in much international literature, it can be concluded simply that one measure of the condition or situation of an object that can be categorized as a pollutant is the presence of the adverse effects it causes, including disturbances to a person's concentration.In this case, the study has carried out qualitative measurements related to the absence of disturbances caused by the presence of advertising boards along the M.T Haryono Street corridor in Kendari City.The measurement was carried out by asking participants whether they felt disturbed by the presence of advertising boards in the area.The respondent's responses can be seen in Figure 7. Figure 7 shows that as many as 59% of respondents felt disturbed by the presence of advertising boards while driving in the area.The most common disorder is distraction, which leads to reduced concentration while driving.Meanwhile, as many as 41% of respondents said they did not feel disturbed by the presence of advertising boards.It should be stated that the respondents who gave the answers felt distracted were those who were 40 years of age or older.While respondents of a younger age said they didn't feel disturbed.So, then age is one of the factors influencing this.On the other hand, the level of education has no significant influence.

Conclusion
The results of the study revealed that the presence of advertising boards along the M.T Haryono road corridor did not contribute to reinforcing the visual theme of the area; its layout was overlapping and unclear; it did not provide clear information on the message it conveyed; its design was neither communicative nor harmonious; it lacked elements of unity with the architectural characteristics of the surrounding buildings; and its presence affected the attention of drivers.Thus, the advertising board along the street corridors is one of the city's physical components that contribute to visual pollution, which not only disturbs the public environment but also distracts drivers.Obviously, this results in societal insecurity, the loss of every right to appreciate the majesty of nature and the restriction of citizens' freedom of sight.(1,7ඥ3)1,618

Recommendation
Based on the conclusions of the studies that have been carried out, some policy recommendations may be considered: 1.In addition to existing regulations, the authorities also need to draw up technical guidelines for the maintenance of advertising boards installed in public spaces and individual-owned spaces to control the negative impact of their existence.2. Technically, design-related provisions can be controlled by a local government or an authority representing them, so a standard advertising board is expected to support sustainable urban development.In connection with this, the combination of two formulations proposed by Rubenstein (1992:35) and the golden ratio formulation of Fibonacci (1:1,618) could be one solution for aesthetic purposes.This can be described as follows: 1) According to Rubenstein, the most convenient position to observe a field with an ideal viewing angle of 60° is a minimum at a distance of 1.7 meters (for pedestrians in standing position), so the proportion of the width to the length of the board is 1.7√3: (1.7√3)1.618(Fig. 8); 2) For an audience in a car, if the minimum distance to the advertisement board is 1.4 meters, with the same angle of view, then the ratio between the width and length of the advertising board is 1.4√3: (1.4√3)1.618(Fig. 9).

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Map of segmentation of the study area.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Visualization of the existing condition of commercial advertising in the M.T Haryono corridor.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Response of respondents on enhancing the visual theme of the area.

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Response of respondents on advertising board placement aesthetics.
signage can provide clear information.The position of the signage does not provide clear information.

Figure 5 .
Figure 5. Response of respondents to the orientation of advertising.

Figure 6 .
Figure 6.Response of respondents to communicative elements, elements of harmony, and elements of unity to commercial advertising.

Figure 7 .
Figure 7. Response of respondents' regarding the disturbance of billboards while driving.

Figure 8 .
Figure 8. Advertising board size and minimum distance for pedestrians in standing positions.

Figure 9 .
Figure 9. Advertising board size and min.distance for in-car audiences.