EDMONTON – As Edmonton’s downtown core continues to change and diversify, navigating the area can be tricky, particularly for newcomers. But now, the City of Edmonton is launching its Walk Edmonton pilot project, in hopes of sending people off in the right direction.
The city has put up five new signs downtown, depicting maps of the surrounding areas. It’s part of the Edmonton Wayfinding Project, which was the brainchild of Tim Querengesser, who moved to the city from Toronto about a year ago.
“I was walking around one day and got into the pedway,” he said, “and thought ‘Oh wow, this is cool.’ My second thought was ‘Oh wow, I’m lost.'”
So Querengesser thought it would be a great idea to have maps installed in the downtown core, with handy walking-time information for pedestrians.
“It says to the pedestrian ‘Hey, we’ve thought of you and we consider this space valuable and important to think about,” he said.
“It just kind of fits with this changing Edmonton that I’m seeing – a renewed focus on downtown, on walkability, on everything to do with the city that doesn’t include a car.”
Five prototype maps have been installed around the downtown core between Churchill Square and the Shaw Conference Centre.
Ward 6 City Councillor Scott McKeen says the maps will be particularly useful when new projects such as the downtown arena are complete.
- Trudeau says ‘good luck’ to Saskatchewan premier in carbon price spat
- Canadians more likely to eat food past best-before date. What are the risks?
- Hundreds mourn 16-year-old Halifax homicide victim: ‘The youth are feeling it’
- Vacation death: Cuba apologizes after Canadian family receives wrong remains
“That’s going to bring thousands of people downtown who don’t normally come downtown,” he said Monday. “We want to make people comfortable when they’re down here and finding their way around.”
And this could be just the beginning. If people like the idea, the city says a cell phone app and a more interactive system could follow.
“This is just a first step and eventually we will have permanent signs, of course, once we get the feedback. And there will be apps as well that will help people,” McKeen explained.
Querengesser says wayfinding is the status quo in large cities around the world. He’s hopeful about the potential this new project has in Edmonton.
“Edmonton is behind the curve. And with all of the renewed focus on downtown, there’s an excitement to kind of catch up and maybe even be known for this.”
Querengesser says it’s also a great way to learn about the city in a different way.
“We’re thinking about it, not in terms of traffic or traffic lights or people on roads, we’re thinking about it as people on sidewalks, pedways. So we’re rediscovering our city.”
The City of Edmonton spent $75,000 on the pilot project.
Officials are asking for the public’s input on the project. For more information, or to weigh in on the maps, visit the City of Edmonton’s website.
With files from Fletcher Kent, Global News.
Comments