Proposal for 50 interactive kiosks in downtown San Diego raises concerns

From the San Diego Union-Tribune article by David Garrick: 
Could digital ad displays be coming to San Diego? Proposal for 50 interactive kiosks downtown raises visual pollution concerns
​"Supporters say they could bring millions in revenue. But the city’s independent budget analyst raised concerns about such ideas in December, a decade after the city attorney issued a similar warning.
San Diego officials are considering an outdoor advertising company’s proposal to install 50 large interactive digital kiosks throughout downtown.
Supporters say the deal would help tourists get around better and provide an estimated $14.7 million in revenue sharing over the next 10 years for the city and another $7 million for the nonprofit San Diego Downtown Partnership.
Critics say it would create visual pollution and force San Diego to amend its carefully crafted sign ordinance, which could lead to large “building wrap” ads that could make downtown look more like Las Vegas or Times Square."

"Scenic San Diego, a group that has successfully fought digital billboards and similar advertising throughout the region, said Tuesday that the proposal could let outdoor advertisers get “a new toehold” here. The Downtown Residents Group has raised concerns about how kiosk locations would be chosen and is lobbying against plans to have the revenue benefit the entire city, contending it should stay downtown." Read the full article online. ​

Points to ponder

• What do kiosks offer to visitors that can't be found on a cellphone?
• How will San Diego be transformed if changes to the sign ordinance allow a massive increase in outdoor ads, such as digital billboards and the like?   
• Some kiosks can push advertising to the cell phones of users. IKE hasn’t revealed if the kiosks proposed for San Diego can. Do we want that?
• Your face can be scanned when using  some kiosks. Is that acceptable? What is done with that scan afterwards?
• What are the positives and negatives associated with offering wi-fi hubs and charging stations in the middle of a sidewalk?
  
• In a hectic urban environment, will brightly flashing digital screens impact the enjoyability of walking?
• Once the kiosks are in, will the be lit 24-hours a day? Will they broadcast music and audio?