The City of Williamsburg is inviting the public to provide their input on its Wayfinding Project in a virtual meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.
A link to attend the meeting can be found at yeswilliamsburg.com/wayfinding. No registration is required to attend.
The City is developing a plan to enhance the existing wayfinding system to make it easy for visitors and residents to navigate around downtown, promote parking opportunities, encourage local shopping and dining, and market special events.
The City has hired MERJE, a nationally recognized design firm with specific expertise in Community Wayfinding, to work with the community to create a well-designed and consistent signage system. The result of this work will include a consistently branded set of directional and informational signage that is scaled to help navigate from Interstate 64 to key locations in the City. One of the guiding principles of the work will be to reduce sign clutter where possible.
This project is in the discovery phase, during which the consultants gather information that will help them capture the character and culture of the city as they design the wayfinding signage. The Jan. 19 public meeting will include an introduction to the wayfinding initiative, as well as provide the public with an opportunity to provide input regarding wayfinding issues and to interact directly with MERJE representatives.
“Wayfinding can do more than provide directional assistance. It is an opportunity to reflect the community’s brand and image in creative ways,” said Michele Mixner DeWitt, director of economic development. “That is why public input is such an important part of this process. We want citizens to help shape the look and feel of the wayfinding design and signage.”
The project area encompasses the entire City with a focus on Downtown, including parking and pedestrian movements. The city currently has vehicular directional signage but much of it is inconsistent or inadequate.
“At its core, this is a marketing project. It is about a visitor’s experience when they visit the City,” said John Bosio, principal at MERJE. “While signs may be a very visual part of the program, it is not the only aspect. Our goal is to help visitors understand the depth of destinations available and encourage visitors to stay longer, return for future visits, and tell their friends and family about their enjoyable stay.
Meeting Login Information
Topic: Wayfinding Project – Public Input Session
Time: 4:30 p.m. Jan. 19, 2021
Meeting Link: https://meetings.ringcentral.com/j/1486365966
Call-In Number: 646-357-3664
Meeting ID: 148 636 5966