Unlike automobile-oriented systems that prioritize vehicular traffic over other forms of transportation, multimodal transportation systems incorporate walking, cycling, and public transit equally. These different modes of transportation require different approaches to wayfinding signage. At NSP, we apply a three-tiered hierarchy to wayfinding in multimodal transportation systems. The Directional Tier focuses on vehicular orientation. Route functionality…
Municipal wayfinding signage systems motivate residents and visitors toward higher engagement and increased daily spending. Through directional wayfinding signs, gateways and entrances, public art pieces, pedestrian map kiosks, and connected digital experiences, wayfinding systems help to: Reduce travel frustrations – getting lost, finding parking, etc. – that impact return visits. Motivate traffic to enter retail…
Wayfinding and placemaking signage projects often moved to the backburner as budget tightened early in the pandemic. However, with residents continuing to flee major urban centers, small cities and suburban and exurban towns have an unexpected opportunity to invest in their communities. Even for small cities, wayfinding and placemaking signage systems help to improve citizen…
Parks and recreation spaces are important amenities for residents and major attractors of out-of-town visitors. The coronavirus pandemic has altered park usage in two major ways: Americans are spending more time outside than ever before. Many are exploring their local parks for the first time! Large gatherings and tentpole events have largely been put on…
Ah, the dreaded request for proposal process. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, your city’s wayfinding RFP or RFQ is a necessary component of designing and implementing a successful municipal wayfinding and placemaking signage system. There’s an art to creating a request for proposal that yields the result your municipality seeks. Before you issue your city’s…
Coronavirus has triggered a shift in home ownership priorities that may signal a new wave of post-pandemic suburbanization. A survey* of 5,000 home buyers in April and May revealed that only 31% were planning to purchase before the pandemic began. The other 69% made the move for reasons related to coronavirus. Some wanted larger homes…
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a curveball at urban planners invested in walkability. Do your pedestrian signs support walking in the age of coronavirus? For years, foot traffic has been on the rise in congested areas like downtown entertainment districts, colleges and universities, dense business parks, and transportation hubs. Coronavirus will not end walkability. Here…
An election year always highlights the challenges municipalities face in regulating temporary signage cluttering city rights of way. Unmanaged signage and abandoned sign frames are a visual blight that many cities are unsure of how to address. From political yard signs left standing well past a campaign to homemade signs for garage sales and local events,…
A robust civic wayfinding and placemaking system can accelerate economic development for your community by orienting residents and visitors and driving them into your commercial core. City planners often think that wayfinding and placemaking projects are expensive investments with never-ending timelines – and, to be fair, they are a major undertaking. But there are ways to…
Temporary home builder signs drive as much as 75% of traffic to new subdivisions. Sadly, the bright colors, waving flags, and large-font calls to action also create unattractive and off-brand signage clutter that deters potential new residents. What are high-growth municipalities to do?A strong but fair home builder sign policy allows home builders to drive…