Finding Your Way
So, lets imagine for a minute you are visiting our fair city from Seattle and, a la South 5, can’t seem to find the Glass Museum! The signs are confusing, you can’t see where to park, and that darn S 15th is so easy to miss. What’s a tourist to do?
If the DMG, BIA and several City of Tacoma employees have their way, soon we will find pretty red signs helping folks find their way!
The Economic Development Committee heard from Patricia Lecy-Davis, Paul Ellis and Marty Campbell today about creating a comprehensive wayfinding system. It was a great presentation and received two thumbs up from the Committee, as well as ooohs and ahhs when the little red ball lit up.
One of the main questions left to be decided is what to call the districts. If you got off the LINK at South 15th… where are you? Would the area around the LINK station at South 19th be the University District? Or Museum District? Or Union Station District? Thoughts or ideas?
Filed under: General
20 comments
D Davest February 13, 2008
Signs, signs, everywhere there’re signs. Love the idea. back in my old home town in MN, they put these up as the country town became a city. Colorful and informative. Personally, I think the addition of color throughout the city will do as much benefit for making Tacoma a more inviting city as being able to find one’s way.
As for naming the Uni-Musion Station District, I’ll leave that up to others. Unless we just want to call it The City’s Front Door. (please, no doormat jokes, mm-K?)
G grubedoo February 13, 2008
I think colorful signs are a great idea as well. The execution of this one seems sophomoric though. It would fit better at a children’s museum or a playground.
Sophisticate the industrial design of the sign some more and give the light on top a reason — maybe it’s an actual piece of glown glass. Also, if it’s going to light up make it solar powered. Why waste money on running these electrically? Then we can all hug trees.
Or, what about using all our billboards (that are still not taken down) as retro-fitted signage? Now there’s something that hasn’t been done before and couldn’t be missed.
C Crenshaw Sepulveda February 13, 2008
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?
P penelope February 13, 2008
Of course this is a concept. It would be a little more Tacoma if the red was a “brick” red, muted gold, mossy green, and more of a slate blue. Maybe the map could light up too? Solar power is definitely to be considered. Colorful is needed here in this sometimes dreary landscape, just not so primary.
Laughs Crenshaw, Kudos.
R Republican (by Default) February 13, 2008
Those will look great against the backdrop of a boarded up building.
Here’s why this ticks me off. I was sitting at a table in a sidewalk cafe in the north end (the real north end, not Stadium) and I noticed some workmen ripping up brick sidewalk so they could bury wire for Christmas lights on the trees along the street. Across the street someone had posted signs for an emergency services levy that was on the ballot that fall.
The city could fund Christmas lights but they couldn’t pay a fireman.
So now we’re going to run more wire for those cute little lights that are supposed to make visitors ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’. And solar cells? In the Pacific Northwest? In an urban setting with buildings blocking the sun in some locations?
How about fixing a few potholes first? We could use a few more police in a few areas. Didn’t I just read about the Eastside being turned down for added patrols even though their children were at risk near their schools?
Sorry to be a buzz-kill here but this city has some serious problems, and the solution that’s offered is cutesy? When is this city going to wake up?
A Ann February 13, 2008
Not to over simplify (although my mind does run on the simple side) but wouldn’t it help the city get more money to pay the firemen and fix the potholes if we had more tourists who could find our attractions and spend more money in our town? These signs can’t cost that much.
Also, solar power works fine in the Pacific Northwest.
And has Crenshaw fallen in love or something? So jovial and dare I say lighthearted lately!
Now I must get coffee — all this thinking before caffeine has made my head hurt!
T Tad February 13, 2008
in theory, i like the signs. however, i don’t see the practical purpose of them – yet. i think that major roadway improvements and streetscaping should be a higher priority for the city. the other day i was in the stadium district and i was horrified by the deplorable condition some of the roads were in. not only that, but on-street parking was a total nightmare.
before these cute little signs go up, i think the city would have much more to gain by improving some roads that are in some serious disrepair, planting trees along sidewalks, improving crosswalks and parking, etc. once the infrastructure is improved, add all the cute signs you want.
E Erik Hanberg February 14, 2008
RBD,
Anyone who comes from outside of Pierce County to Tacoma is effectively a tourist. If a Seattle-ite doesn’t know where to go for dinner before an evening conference, or how to get to a retail hub when they have an hour to kill between meetings, they’re not going to be able to drop any cash.
Tourism has added millions to Tacoma’s economy, and they need good signage to make sure they know where to go so that they don’t give up and go spend somewhere else.
P penelope February 14, 2008
Thanks Eric. You’re right, we want people to come here, but when they get here they have no clue how to get anywhere or what to get to. The wayfinding by design will let people know what district or area they are in by the top placard stating “Theater District” etc., the map attached at bottom will let pedestrians know what (business/service) is close and how to get there. The lit up piece at the top is a universal (i) for information. The signs themselves will be 20 ft. tall with very legible writing on each color coded placards directing them to “Iconic” locations such as museums, parks, govmt. agencies, attractions etc. The colors should be a little more modern and sophisticated as not to look “Sesame Street”. This is all in the details. It is important that council be behind such a bold move to take pride in the wonderful assets Tacoma has, and getting people to them efficiently. It is also about retention. Getting them hear is not enough, we need them to stay a while, spend some money, and most of all, RETURN! Anyway, the purpose of this blog was to get y’alls input on naming the districts. Any suggestions for Pacific Ave. area?
E Erik B. February 14, 2008
Anyone who comes from outside of Pierce County to Tacoma is effectively a tourist. If a Seattle-ite doesn’t know where to go for dinner before an evening conference….
The City needs alot of help on “wayfinding.” There are even alot of people in the county that have not been downtown in decades. Its amazing. They might know one street like Pacific Avenue.
The signs are also a good idea to build the uniqueness of specific areas. Its hard to improve an area without an identity. Tacoma has some great achitecture and areas downtown and we need to appreciate and identify them.
J James M February 15, 2008
“Anyway, the purpose of this blog was to get y’alls input on naming the districts. Any suggestions for Pacific Ave. area?”
Sorry that didn’t work out exactly as planned, and I must say, the extra details you mentioned in your post made the signs sound much more attractive (the color palette must be better!). So for names, I’d lean towards University District. Granted, I’m a student at UWT, but as far as I know the museum and Union Station area is pretty much built up, whereas the University is going to be expanding up the hill for years to come and will only become more of a feature in the district. Looking forward, I think calling it the U-District makes the most sense.
R Republican (By Default) February 15, 2008
Great news. I found a deal on solar panels. We could power a 45 watt bulb for just $199 per post. That’s probably still cheaper than running underground wires to all of them. Of course, we won’t know how long the lights will actually stay on during the night, being that clouds, buildings and those beautiful trees tend to diminish the efficiency of solar panels. What trees, you ask?
Now the suggestions for names. Are you referring to the part of Pacific Ave. that’s not plugged up with traffic because of the Link Light Rail and poorly timed traffic lights? Oh right, that’s the University District, not to be confused with Seattle’s, or with University Place. Or is that the museum district. I get confused.
How about calling that other part of Pacific the ‘Russell District’?
And a tourist is someone who comes here to tour. Most people come here for other reasons, such as business, convention (usually business), to meet friends, then grab lunch or visit a museum while waiting for traffic to clear. And I’m still trying to find information on actual tourist income so I can compare it to how much the city has spent on tourism to see if it’s worth the investment.
This city has some screwed up priorities.
E Erik Hanberg February 15, 2008
Years ago someone wrote into the Tribune and suggested calling the area the SAMBA District:
S for South
A for Arts
M for Museums
B for Breweries
and A, for people who like to Samba.
I think it’s time to formally bring back this suggestion.
E Erik Hanberg February 15, 2008
RBD,
When I was at the Convention & Visitor Bureau, the State commissioned a company every year to measure tourism spending by county. The numbers showed a $1 investment brought $49 in. That counts spending on all tourism, including business/convention tourism (by far where the CVB puts most of its money) as getting someone to stay for a night for a convention leads to lots of money coming into the community, much more than if they’re just in town for a day.
Penelope,
I believe the Pac Ave area should be “The Museum District at Union Station.” I know that’s a little wordy, but I still like it.
G gritcitygirl February 15, 2008
The light up was mostly for effect and not necessary for the signs permanently. As for the usability of solar panels, many of the school crossing lights are now done with solar rather than wired and they work fine all year round.
The convention center has been asking for citywide signage since they opened. So many people come here for a conference and have no idea how to get anywhere. It’s very easy to stay an extra day but most won’t if the city isn’t inviting to visitors. My parents live less than an hour away but for them coming to Tacoma is such a production because they can’t find their way around. Thus, they rarely visit and when they do, its to come to one destination and leave.
I think district names should reflect landmarks rather than specific institutions. Also, University district is generic. Every city has one. I’d be more inclined to Union Station District, Broadway Square, St Helens, Old City Hall, etc…
B beerBoy February 16, 2008
RE: Erik Hansen @ 15
Or we could, following in Seattle’s SLUT tradition of making politically incorrect acronyms, name it SAMBO
S for South
A for Arts
M for Museums
B for Breweries
O for Other things not mentioned above.
C Crenshaw Sepulveda February 16, 2008
To describe downtown Tacoma is not unlike the blind men describing an elephant by feeling only one part of it. It is hard to make the connections between the areas and come up with a whole. We have something that we think is a downtown but it is a collection of both old and new areas that spread over a fairly large area.
The LINK does a nice job of connecting the Freight House Square to all the businesses and sites along Pacific to the Convention and Theater districts. Tacoma has a rich history of trains and rail. It is only appropriate that the LINK is what unifies downtown.
I’m not certain I can give a name to this collection of districts that comprise downtown but I am glad they are all linked together.
So many places have cleaver names for the various districts in their cities. I think it is very hard to have a name stick unless it comes from common usage or from being totally obvious (Antiques Row or Theater District). Historic significance plays a role in naming an area. I think the names will come as Tacoma is more comfortable with her current self.
I can see where we don’t want to replicate names from Seattle or anywhere else. Think of the district names that work, Stadium District, the Mount Saint Helens neighborhood. Old Town, Hilltop. McKinley Hill. Why is it that these names work and seem to be appropriate?
R Republican (By Default) February 16, 2008
Erik, is that information available to the public? Did that study focus on Tacoma or did it include Seattle? If Tacoma, did it include a portion of the $80 million or the ~$4 million per year that goes into the Link, since it was (and is) touted as part of the push for tourism? What about the cost of running Tacoma’s museums? And the rest of the spending that includes the ‘it will help tourism’ selling point?
gritcitygirl, when your parents complain about the difficulty getting around, do you think they would be helped more by repairing and improving traffic/street signs? Would these sesame street signs help them very often by directing them to the various ‘districts’?
Sorry to be the nay-sayer on this one. It’s not that I’m against these signs, it’s that I believe that there are far more important and productive things that the city can be doing that will have the same desired effect.
“If you build it they will come” is fiction. The American West is littered with failed and under-producing tourist attractions. I believe that Tacoma has the potential to be a tourist center for this region of the state, but it has a long way to go and many hurdles to clear before that becomes a reality. I suggest we focus on other issues first.
T Tressie February 17, 2008
crenshaw said:
I can see where we don’t want to replicate names from Seattle or anywhere else. Think of the district names that work, Stadium District, the Mount Saint Helens neighborhood. Old Town, Hilltop. McKinley Hill. Why is it that these names work and seem to be appropriate?
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Because, melonmanLA, they are Authentic. They are not made up.Made up names sound phony, shallow, contrived and shill-like.
Simple is fine. Simple is good.
Been here 25 yrs….don’t know this one:the Mount Saint Helens neighborhood.
where zat?
M Mofo from the Hood February 17, 2008
I must be old-fashioned. Whenever I’m looking for a specific destination I look for addresses and street names.
In this age of computer generated maps and GPS systems in cars, plus conventional paper maps, it’s probable that one could get lost in Tacoma.