Shortly after the Philadelphia City Council signed off on plans for giant digital advertising displays on downtown city streets, Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation has revoked the city’s right to control outdoor advertising in commercial areas.

Many large cities in the United States have certification from their state Departments of Transportation to control outdoor advertising in certain areas within city boundaries. Pennsylvania granted certification to Philadelphia in 1974, but in recent years the city has sought to sell more and more public space to advertisers.

The decision was praised by Mary Tracy, executive director of Scenic Philadelphia. “The citizens of Philadelphia deserve the same protections from billboard blight that residents of other Pennsylvania communities receive.”