Wayfinding for pedestrians in urban areas

Making places more walkable, legible and liveable

Bruce Herbes! – Visualvoice !

Bruce Herbes – Wayfinding Consultant
www.visualvoice.com.au

1
Wayfinding for pedestrians in urban areas

Todays presentation map

What is pedestrian wayfinding?

Best practice – legible cities around the world

The 3 stage process of developing a system

1. Strategy – the ʻWhatʼ and ʻWhereʼ issues
2. Design – developing the information system
3. Implementation – manufacture & installation

Other issues – Walkability

The role of pedestrian wayfinding

To explain the environment and enable seamless walking

provide clear, accurate, quality information
To provide the right information at the right time
To allow people to easily build a mental map of an area
making the environment legible and navigable
To improve the visitor experience and enjoyment.
Information benefits business, transport, tourism & the
people of the city
To articulate the opportunities a place can provide
The benefits of walking

Significant economic benefits, more footfall leads to longer

stays, increased spending and reduced parking churn

Improved health, physical fitness, enjoyment and recreation

Reduced climate change and environmental & fuel costs

Improved equity for young, old, poor, carers, prams, wheelchairs

Better walkability is good for cyclists & public transport users

Current practice

Over the past 50 years most wayfinding has been for

traffic. Most maps of cities focus on drivers, not walkers

Roads ! ! ! ! ! Driver advice! ! ! Transport

People on foot have been forgotten. There is a

resurgence of interest in walking in response to the big
issues of the 21st century – climate change, fuel cost &
availability, personal health, obesity and urban liveability
Wayfinding for people?

There is little pedestrian wayfinding signage in cities

Street name signs are too high and infrequent

A lot of signage is poorly designed and located
Retail branding signage installed randomly

Signage designed for other designers

What do pedestrians need?

To find their way with ease and confidence

Know the preferred walking routes to destinations

Know where itʼs safe to cross roads
Understand public transport options
The questions people ask
Where am I now? Street name signs must be installed in
pairs at all intersections and be at the correct: height,
orientation, font size and contrast

How do I get where I want to go?

Provide information maps and directional signs

How far is it? Provide walking times on maps & signs

What else is in the area? Pedestrian oriented maps should

show all important people destinations
Research

Good wayfinding requires the use of map-based signs

Research in London shows that 66% of travellers and 80% of

tourists would consider walking instead of other modes, after
seeing a walking–focused map.............BUT
Change is needed

Most maps are not designed for pedestrians and 75% are
either upside down or the wrong way round
Good practice in pedestrian wayfinding

Livable cities are legible cities

Good practice

The Bristol Legible City project pioneered modern wayfinding

The design principles are:

Donʼt make me think! – have one system to learn and

remember how it works

What I need, when I need it – use progressive disclosure:

just enough information and not too much

Connect areas – connecting areas, regions and transport

Clean up – get rid of unnecessary clutter, have as few signs

as possible, as many as needed
Map-Based Signs
Where you are is what you see
Pedestrian Maps
Directional Signs
Sign to off map destinations
De-clutter
Remove old signage
Related Hand-held Maps
Integration
Consistency
Creating a legible city

The process has 3 stages:

Stage 1 Strategy & Concepts

Identifying the signage needs for the area
The ʻWhat & the Whereʼ Issues

Stage 2 Design
Consultation, planning, initial development
Detailed map & signage specifications

Stage 3 Manufacture & installation

Stage 1 – Strategy & Concepts

Every area is different and needs independent analysis

The size, shape & character of an area dictates the
appropriate wayfinding system for that area.

Strategy work includes:

Existing signage audit
Identification of key pedestrian routes and destinations
Analysis of public transport access
Identify precinct walkability issues
Identify the appropriate sign family & placement policy
Concept designs
Implemented projects
Completed strategies Signage implementation
Bendigo Installed 2007
Ballarat (Transit Cities) Late 2008
Bayswater Now
Footscray 2007
Kew Junction 2008/9
Broadmeadows 2007
Melbourne Installed 2004
Royal Park Late 2008
IMAP - Stonnington, Port Phillip, 2009 Demonstration project
Yarra & Melbourne
Heidelberg 2009
Mandurah, WA 2008/9
Gosnells, WA 2008/9
Parramatta, NSW 2008/9
Melbourne Sports Precinct 2006
Methodology
Best Practice Guide to Pedestrian Wayfinding
The ʻWhatʼ and ʻWhereʼ issues.
Signing methodology and installation guide
Map & sign content rules guide
Auditing
Existing signage. Is it legible, functional, helpful?

Signs audited as part of the IMAP project

Analysis

Link precincts through local and regional signage

Be consistent across all agencies and councils
Design a hierarchy of signs to match a hierarchy of
locations/decision points

Walking time bubble map – planning process

Planning
The ʻwhatʼ issues

Provide a coordinated family of similar signs

Use quality materials to reflect positively on the area and
minimise vandalism & allow for easier maintenance

Design for updating & establish a maintenance program

Integration with existing signage (where appropriate)
Concepts
Localised appropriate designs
The ʻwhereʼ issues

At major decision points, origins and destinations

Locate signs within 10 minutes walk time of each other
At ʻindecisionʼ points

Signs should not become a barrier in the pedestrian space

and sufficient viewing space is required

IMAP wayfinding strategy – planning process

34
Strategy visualisation
Stage 2 – Design

Consultation, planning, design, review......

Design & production of Master Maps

(detailed precinct map, reference map, handheld map....)

Integration of city identity or brand – aesthetics

Map-based sign specifications

Directional sign layout specifications
Installation guidelines
Complete specification of the wayfinding system
Activity centre maps

Develop pedestrian focused heads-up maps

with relevant content:
Show landmarks, safe crossings, public transport, seating,
toilets & baby change facilities, walking routes...
Design
process
Stage 3 – Manufacture & implementation

The completed signage package allows the system to be put

out to tender for manufacture and installation
Conclusion
Improved wayfinding and walkability go together

Provide pedestrian information signage at decision points

Make the pedestrian environment “fit for purpose”, convenient,

convivial, connected and comfortable

Complement increased walking with reduced traffic speeds

Promote walking – www.walktober.com.au

Legible and walkable cities are liveable

Bruce Herbes – Wayfinding Consultant

www.visualvoice.com.au