Featured Inquiry (9/9/03)
Question
Request for examples of neighborhood sign programs and benefits.
Answer
See the following Web sites on neighborhood sign programs:
- Tampa
Neighborhood Sign Program and the Tampa
Comprehensive Plan (
KB) (see p. 30, "Neighborhood Sign Program") - Norfolk, VA Neighborhood Sign Program
- Fort Worth, TX - Neighborhood ID Signs
- St. Mary's County, MD - Neighborhood Identification Signs
- Minneapolis, MN - Neighborhood ID Signs
- Fort Collins, CO - Neighborhood Sign Recognition Program
- Arlington County, VA - Neighborhood Signs
- Tulsa, OK - Policy on Neighborhood Identification Signs
The following links are to neighborhood signage programs that have been funded by neighborhood matching funds:
- Orlando, FL - Lake Underhill Neighborhood Association Neighborhood Identification Sign
- Renton - Highlands Community Association - Highlands Neighborhood Identification Sign and Neighborhood Grant Program
The following are examples of downtown wayfinding signage programs:
- Seattle, Center City Wayfinding Project
- Atlanta, GA - Wayfinding Signage
- Sacramento, CA - Central City Wayfinding Signage
- Memphis, TN - Downtown Wayfinding Program
- Albuquerque, NM - Wayfinding Signage in Downtown
The following are less useful links but do include some information on neighborhood signage programs:
- Bend, OR - Neighborhood Association Signs
- Riverside, CA - Neighborhood Entry Statement
- Palm Beach Gardens, FL - Gardens Neighborhood Association
- Neighborhood Planning in St. Petersburg, FL (draft)
In addition, the following items are available from the MRSC library:
- Downtown Wayfinding Project, City of Seattle, 1998
- City Signs - Innovative Urban Graphics, Gail Deibler Finke, 1994
- In addition, I will send the following materials, which you may keep:
- "Principles of Urban Wayfinding Systems," by Craig M. Berger and Adrienne Eiss, ITE Journal, April 2002
- "Way to Go," Karen Finucan, Planning, November 1999
- "Urban Wayfinding," Urban Land, April 1996
- "Destination Downtown: Developing an Environmental Graphics System," Main Street, Douglas & Alderman, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Number 128, January 1997
- "'Wayfinding' Signage Program Makes Downtown User-Friendly," from Downtown Idea Exchange, May 1, 1998.
As you'll see from the articles, there is considerable interest in wayfinding programs as the urban environment becomes cluttered with signs.
The City of Seattle has established a wayfinding demonstration project in its downtown area and has plans for a more comprehensive pedestrian-oriented public information signage program. A later phase will also look at consolidation and clutter reduction of some of the existing street signage. The city hired Nakano Associates as its main consultant, and Maestri Design, Two Twelve Associates and John Bentz Design as subs on the project. (The last three are also doing the sign plan for Sound Transit). Stakeholders in the downtown area, such as the business improvement association and the convention center, are participating in the costs of the program. The Museum of History and Industry is contributing some volunteer time producing material for the cultural/historical information signs. Seattle has a unique approach of using box-shaped signs that wrap around street lighting fixtures. Although the city at first considered blade-shaped directional signs, the city settled on the box-type signs because street trees would tend to block the blade signs from view. Contact: Robert Scully, City Design, 206/233-3854; robert.scully@seattle.gov).