University City District Installs Extensive Wayfinding System

Philadelphia, 22 October 2001 -- Finding your way in University City was made easier this fall with the installation of the highly successful Walk! and Direction Philadelphia© sign system. The clear and distinctive signs that first simplified getting around Center City six years ago can now be found from the Schuylkill River all the way to 63rd Street. The University City District (UCD) executed the $450,000 project with the assistance of the Philadelphia Department of Streets and the Foundation for Architecture and with financial support from The William Penn Foundation and the City of Philadelphia through 3rd District Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell. The UCD expects the signs not only to improve wayfinding but also to raise visibility for the 84 University City museums, recreation and sports venues, hospitals, educational institutions, and shopping districts highlighted by the signs.

The Walk! and Direction Philadelphia© sign system was the model for signage in Washington, D.C., Miami Beach (planned), and most recently Lancaster, PA.

The UCD will acknowledge its project partners on Thursday, 25th October at 1 pm on Irvine Auditorium plaza at 34th and Spruce streets. (The rain location is Reath Terrace in the Colket Atrium at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th and Civic Center Blvd.) The public is welcome. Expected to speak are Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell, UCD executive director Eric T. Goldstein, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia chief operating officer and executive vice-president Jeffrey Rivest, Philadelphia Department of Streets commissioner William Johnston, and Foundation for Architecture interim executive director Sylvia Watts McKinney.

Intended for pedestrians, the eye-catching Walk!Philadelphia© signs are installed at intersections from the Schuylkill River to 40th Street and in the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia vicinity. Each points toward six to ten locations such as cultural and sports venues, universities, parks, and shopping districts. The signs are crowned with an icon depicting elements that make University City a unique Philadelphia neighborhood: Victorian architecture, trolley cars, and tree lined streets. Complementary "heads-up" disc maps installed mid-block show the viewer's location on a map of the District and are oriented so that the direction s/he is facing is always "up." The violet color employed on the signs identifies the District also on Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau tourist maps.Primarily for motorists, Direction Philadelphia© signs are installed from the Schuylkill River to 63rd Street. These are simple, blue rectangular signs with a maximum of three destinations listed on each.

UCD executive director Eric T. Goldstein envisions that the signs' impact will go beyond preventing people from getting lost. "University City and West Philadelphia already draw many from the region for education and healthcare. But the signs show how close you are at Drexel University, for example, to the Institute of Contemporary Art or to restaurants and shopping on Lancaster Avenue. The signs bring University City closer together and the district as a whole to Center City and other areas of Philadelphia. We expect also that people will discover attractions in the area that they weren't aware of."

The William Penn Foundation provided a grant for planning and design of the University City project. City capital funds accessed through Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell paid for sign fabrication and installation. The signs are the property of the Streets Department, but the UCD's Public Space Maintenance Program will maintain them.

Direction Philadelphia© was created by the Foundation for Architecture in the mid-1980s and Walk!Philadelphia© was developed by the Center City District and Joel Katz design associates in the mid-1990s. Both systems eliminated the accumulation of redundant and confusing signs in the city. In addition to University City and Center City, the signs have already been installed in Manayunk, are in fabrication for Northwest Philadelphia, and are planned for the Port Richmond, Bridesburg, and Frankford sections of the City. In addition, the Foundation for Architecture received a sizeable planning and development grant from the Delaware River Port Authority for signs along the riverfront.

Celebrating its fifth year of operation, University City District builds effective partnerships to maintain a clean and safe environment and to promote, plan, and advocate for University City's diverse urban community. The UCD's programs to improve streetscapes and parks, remove trash and graffiti, provide technical assistance to home- and business owners, increase public safety, and publicize University City's advantages have improved the quality of life since 1997. For information about University City or the UCD, call 215 243 0555 or visit www.UCityphila.com.

Release Date: Monday, October 22nd 2001