March 19, 2007
By Neil Fraser
HAVE you ever been totally lost in a city? I certainly had that experience a number of times quite some years ago now in some far- and middle-eastern cities and towns where street signage, designed for locals only, was incomprehensible.
Then, also some years back, I was greatly impressed by the downtown signage developed by the Philadelphia Centre City District - what we would call a city improvement district, or CID. The American city's highly legible, coloured signage fixed to street poles located the individual in relation to the various precincts in the centre city.
But what was really innovative was that the map of the centre city was always the right way up for the viewer. There was no struggling to check where north was or standing on your head to determine in which direction you should be going.
Philadelphia seemed to have started quite a trend in city signage and over the years a variety of cities have developed some really innovative "wayfinding" systems.
Calgary
Calgary, in Canada, for example, developed a series of symbols that are a reminder of its history as well as a functional directional guide. The symbols combine the star constellation circles of the local Indian tribe, the Blackfoot, with a white rodeo hat. Circle patterns are used to indicate walking paths on maps but also physically on the footways.
The closest we have to this is the electric sowing machine patterns inlaid in the pavements designating the fashion district. Lately, we also have the "storyboards" that provide a history of the buildings (many no longer there) and events in Main Street.
"Wayfinding means knowing where you are, knowing your destination, following the best route, recognising your destination and finding your way back. When people cannot do these things, outside or inside, we say they are disoriented. Since disorientation has significant negative consequences, both for individuals and for the organisations that serve them, easy navigation benefits everyone."
I gather that the term "wayfinding" was first coined in a 1960s book Image of the City, written by researcher Kevin Lynch. Then, in 1984, environmental psychologist Romedi Passini published Wayfinding in Architecture and expanded the concept to include signage and other graphic communication, clues inherent in buildings' spatial grammar, logical space planning, audible communication, tactile elements and provision for special-needs users.
"A good pedestrian sign system will show us the way, providing enough information for us to set off on foot - while leaving specific incidents and exploratory details up to the walker's own mood and imagination."
I was reminded of all this twice last week - the first time through a discussion with one of the City's planners while looking at a map of the inner city. We were talking about the need to determine the various precincts that have developed in the city, by defining their edges.
Legible London
The second was through an email I received from the Central London Partnership entitled "Legible London". It starts with the premise that, while London is one of the most fascinating cities in the world to explore on foot, it is also quite confusing to navigate around.
Taking the opportunity of London's host city status for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games "Legible London" intends to implement a new wayfinding system in key areas of the city over the next five years. The objective of the initiative is to encourage more walking and to improve pedestrian navigation throughout the city.
"Many Londoners are attracted by the idea of walking more: for their health, the environment and their quality of life. More people taking to the streets also benefits local businesses, creates safer places and reduces pressure on public transport. Improved signage and wayfinding for pedestrians is also a high priority for London's business community."
In an online survey carried out by the organisation, 45 percent of respondents found that current London signage systems were unpredictable; 46 percent felt that they knew less than 10 percent of London; and 62 percent were willing to walk for up to an hour every day.
I would think that our comparative figure for the first statement would be 99 percent. Our pavements are cluttered with all sorts of confusing signage - often with nothing that is really relevant. Then there are the broken signs, the graffiti-covered signs and the many places where there are simply no signs.
So how is "Legible London" going about the new approach? Well, first of all, the partnership organised a consultation workshop for public and private "implementation partners" in June 2006.
Working for users
"A city-wide wayfinding system has to work for its users, but it also needs to be driven and supported by a variety of stakeholders, including local authorities, developers and the wider business community, business improvement districts and city-wide organisations."
It then ran a "Legible London" exhibition over six months and encouraged all and sundry to air their views on how signage in London could be improved, via an associated website. In parallel it developed a number of pilot schemes to test various concepts, and it is now holding extensive briefing events with key organisations from all over London.
The basic goals of a wayfinding system should include communicating to a multi-lingual audience by creating images that are appropriate and legible. It strikes me that the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup is a good reason to do something serious about this issue – hopefully there will be thousands of visitors in the inner city and we owe them a clear wayfinding system.
It should be considered a legacy project because ultimately it will be of great benefit to all city users.
But please, it must not be what we did in Sandton for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. Then all we did was put up new street name signs – boring! We need something innovative, clear and conveying the right information at the right time and place (what is called "progressive disclosure"), not a regurgitation of the unimaginative and confusing systems of yesteryear.
Ciao, Neil
Tours by the Parktown and Westcliff Heritage Trust
The costs for the walking and bus tours below are for members and non-members respectively. Bookings can be made at Computicket on 011 340 8000 or through the Computicket website. For more information, phone 011 482 3349 in the mornings only.
Sunday, 25 March: Constitution Hill – take a walking tour and soak up the atmosphere of one of the world's most progressive institutions, enshrined on a site that previously epitomised one of its most backward. Meet at the visitor's entrance in Sam Hancock Street at 9.30am; the tour takes two-and-a-half hours and costs R60 and R80.
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