Scenic Houston’s roots are deep, born in a local advocacy effort to battle the unregulated proliferation of billboards in our city. In 1966, concerned Houstonians led by local attorney Carroll Shaddock formed the non-profit group Billboards Ltd to fight against the mushrooming billboard blight. Billboards Ltd fought to establish, for the first time ever, a City of Houston sign ordinance as a means to create standards and regulations for billboards.

Since 1980, 2/3 of the billboards in Houston have been removed

Despite overtures from Billboards Ltd to work together in this process, the billboard industry fought any kind of regulation and would not compromise. Another challenge was that City elected leadership of the era was ineffective in leading stakeholders toward establishing effective standards. By 1980, Houston was home to over 10,000 billboards, and was known in the press as the “Billboard Capital of the World.” Not only Billboards Ltd but a new generation of community leaders saw this as an economic development black eye for Houston, and that same year, Houston City Council unanimously passed an ordinance banning new billboard construction in the city.

Once new billboard construction was stopped, then redevelopment, attrition, and continuing anti-billboard advocacy could gain traction. By reducing inventory from 10,000+ billboards in 1980 to fewer than 3,500 in 2009, this landmark ordinance has made all the difference in the visual character of Houston’s freeways (and thus, since this is a driving city, of Houston itself).

Most of Houston's remaining billboards are protected by Federal law

This significant turning point in the local campaign for signage standards sparked a desire for statewide advocacy to protect the appearance and quality of life of roads and streets statewide. As a result, in 1984, Billboards Ltd was reorganized as The Lone Star Roadside Council, a state-wide non-profit organization. A final name change occurred in 1991 with the establishment of Scenic Texas, Inc. as the statewide 501(c)(3) entity and Scenic Houston as its largest and most active local chapter. Scenic Texas is an affiliate of Scenic America.

Scenic Houston has maintained its unique position as the only local non-profit counterweight to the billboard industry, but has broadened its agenda to include freeway landscaping, scenic byway development, on-premises sign regulation, enhanced design standards for public projects, and more. Scenic Houston is an active and effective advocate for a green, uncluttered, visually appealing city.