Signs are and continue to be important navigational tools that help passersby orient themselves to urban landscapes. These devices become part of these urban environments and are utilized by a wide variety of pedestrians and motorists. Those who erect these signs do so with the hope that their messages will be seen and understood by all who view them. The same is true for those who generate public art displays, which are typically regulated in similar fashion to signs. Localities are committed to regulating signs to ensure that they do not cause safety issues or create aesthetic blight. Crafting regulations that weigh the need to be viewed with issues of public safety is a fine balancing act. The authors contained in this issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding seek to share the importance of context and cognition as a basis for establishing regulations that may affect the visibility of both signs and public art.