new-look New York is soon going to be a reality. The first phase of New York's outdoor makeover has been set in motion. The makeover was kicked off in Queens by mayor Michael Bloomberg, who unveiled the first of 3,300 renovated bus shel-ters across the five boroughs. The chief beautician of the city is the Spain-based outdoor company, Cemusa (www.cemusa.com). The company won the much-coveted street-furniture contract this year. Additional bus shelters and 20 new public toilets and 330 newsstands will hit the streets in the first few months of 2007.

Street furniture as a medium has been largely ignored by advertisers. Cemusa intends to create worth for a medium historically underappreciated. The deal is supremely beneficial for the city too; it stands to gain $999 million (over 20 years) in cash from Cemusa's bid for the contract. ... more