In Cary, NC, signs are heavily regulated. Driving around the city is quite peaceful as a result; there isn't much, if any advertising visible. People know what they want and need, and know where to get it, so it's not problematic. However, in the software space, there have been times that I would not have known about a helpful piece of software if it were not advertised.
That Cary situation sounds lovely to me. Business signs are naturally engaged in never ending war to be attention getting, new looking, big, bright, high off the ground, and generally impossible to ignore. As far as I can see, only government regulation can address this problem.
