Illustration: Jeff Hopkins.
Sign installation in New York City triggers regulations governing location, size, illumination, and construction. The New York City Building Code and the New York City Zoning Resolution are the two main bodies of law governing signs in New York City. The Building Code regulates the construction and maintenance of signs, such as permissible construction materials, and is primarily concerned with public health and safety. The Zoning Resolution, while implicating issues of public health and safety, also encompasses aesthetic considerations. Restrictions on the size, height, surface area, and illumination of a sign are intended to promote a distinctive look in that zoning district, while striking a balance between the desires of society and the rights of property owners. For example, an illuminated sign that may be a desirable tourist attraction in Times Square, becomes a nuisance in a residential neighborhood.
