Above: McDonald's opposite the Louvre in Paris. Restrained clear signs are appropriate in this conservation area. Photograph by Ian Kelly Left: McDonald's, Circular Quay, a good example of restrained signage achieved through constructive debate. Photograph by Liz Vines.

A quiet revolution has been occurring in Australia's towns and cities over the last decade. The transformation of Australian eating habits, accompanied by the introduction of outdoor cafes, has changed the nature of our streets and the way we use them. Streets have become outdoor rooms for the whole community. Australia's temperate climate has encouraged outdoor eating, street life and social activity.

Over the last decade the introduction of corporate franchise outlets in Australia has also increased dramatically. The proliferation of fast food companies, video chains, hardware stores, petrol stations and other national and multinational companies has been accompanied by large brightly coloured signs and standard building designs, often imposed on a streetscape with no consideration of the existing traditional character. Supermarket developments have routinely included large open expanses of carparking surrounding monolithic buildings which make no reference to the scale or style of other buildings nearby.

The NSW Heritage Office is working with councils and corporations to encourage development that reflects and complements the local character of historic conservation precincts. A new policy titled Street Smart; Corporate Development in Historic Town Centres will help corporations, local government and the community to assess and guide the introduction of new businesses into historic town centres. This has been developed in response to requests by heritage advisors and architects requiring a clearer government framework for new corporate development.

Commenting on the new Corporate Policy, Rosalind Strong, Director of the Heritage Office said, "Street Smart will assist local planing authorities with simple suggestions on how to improve the development approvals process, as well as encouraging private sector organisations to respect the character of the townscape or heritage precinct in which they do business."

Corporations normally propose the maximum allowable signage and easily recognisable colour schemes in their development applications to local councils, as there is a clear commercial advantage for those outlets to be as visible as possible.

This has had a negative impact on the appearance of many heritage precincts and conservation areas in Australia. By contrast, in certain areas of Europe and North America corporations have been required to modify their proposals, restrain the signage and change building designs to accommodate local character considerations.

Street Smart outlines the principles for designing a new building so that it fits into a significant townscape. New development can have a major impact on an historic town centre. By giving careful consideration to the overall character of the location, the general scale of adjacent buildings and the siting and setback of the established frontages, corporations can make a positive contribution to a historic streetscape.

Signs, banners and large internally lit corporate signs can also be distracting elements in an historic town centre. Without guidelines to regulate signage, heritage buildings can be hidden beneath a jumble of brightly coloured and mis-matched signs. Many local councils now have advertising sign policies which cover conservation areas and heritage precincts.