for happier, healthier cities
A YouGov poll commissioned by Adfree Cities found that a rather shocking proportion of drivers don’t agree with the statement that “SUVs and pickups are more dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists”. To be clear, they definitely are. Research has shown that pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to be killed if struck by an SUV, rising to 82% for children….Continue reading How advertising blinds drivers to SUV risks
A new study has found a correlation between billboard advertising and liver disease. In the study, led by St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, researchers found a correlation between the placement of advertising billboards promoting alcohol and unhealthy food with hospital admissions for liver disease. According to the new research, patients admitted to hospital with serious…Continue reading New study links billboard ads with liver disease
Recent high-profile events such as Eurovision, the Chelsea Flower Show and the FIFA World Cup highlight the jarring disconnect between the intrinsic values – like connection and community – promoted by cultural events and the harmful realities of capitalist consumerism being promoted to us through sponsorship.
But the wave of harmful sponsorships is prompting a backlash. With fossil fuels are having their ‘tobacco moment’, it’s time for popular cultural events to drop polluting sponsors. Read on to find out more and about how you can take action today….Continue reading Lessons from Eurovision: The Disconnect of Corporate Sponsorship
More ad-free spaces coming soon Thanks to our wonderful supporters, many more streets around the UK could see a reduction in harmful adverts in the coming years. In response to our call-out ahead of the local elections earlier this month, hundreds of you contacted your election candidates asking them to sign the Adfree Cities pledge…Continue reading Adfree Cities newsletter May 2026
Adblock Bristol first started to input into the Bristol Local Plan back in 2018! We then responded to the Review Consultation in March 2019 and managed a petition which received 1,850 signatories supporting no new billboards. In 2022 we fed in how outdoor advertising impacts on health and wellbeing and the local economy, and in…Continue reading Remember the Bristol Local Plan?
The May 2026 local elections have seen a wave of new politicians enter London’s Borough councils. Many were elected on a platform of a radical Green vision for the city, including three Green Mayors (in Hackney, Lewisham and Waltham Forest). While the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, won’t have to defend his position in an election until 2028, this will increase pressure on Khan to deliver on his progressive credentials….Continue reading Will 2026 be the year that Transport for London finally bans polluting ads?