A signage system for walkers that will give travel times to local landmarks, show the distance between neighborhoods, and change the perception that Los Angeles is impossible to navigate on foot.
Leader
Colleen Corcoran
Location
Leimert Park (various locations) Los Angeles, CA 90043
As part of our ongoing "Hey, I'm Walking Here" campaign, we will create pedestrian wayfinding signage that gives information on walking times between different destinations to show connectivity between neighborhoods and change perceptions that many places are too far away to walk. These signs are similar in concept to the Walk My City signs (walkyourcity.org), but we intend to create a visual language for our signs that references the eclectic hand-painted signs found all around Los Angeles, which is a visual language more inviting and more specific to LA. Two professional sign painters who love our work have offered to help us with the designs.
1. Develop draft design and examples of signage placement (by late November)
2. Community asset mapping to determine signage locations and destinations (early 2015)
3. Finalize signage designs (early Spring 2015)
4. Implement signage (late Spring 2015)
There's a widespread perception that it is not easy to get around LA by foot or on transit. In some ways, this is true: Our city is over 400 square miles, and because our transit system has to cover so much ground, the nearest stop or station might be farther away than the mile or so people are willing to walk. But much of what people experience in L.A. is a belief that it's too far to walk somewhere only because they don't have the relevant information at hand. Studies have shown that just the simple act of translating "miles" to "minutes" by showing travel times instead of distance, is enough to encourage walkers to make a trip on foot. Similar signage has recently been implemented in cities like London and New York City. This is why good pedestrian wayfinding is key: Not only will this new signage help to direct walkers to important resources like transit stations, which will help encourage more people to use transit for those longer distances, but it will also show travel times to places like parks, local landmarks, and other neighborhoods which will allow people to connect to their city in new ways. Great design can help to fight misconceptions and make LA a better place to walk.
