ATTACHMENT #1

July 24, 2007

Chapel Hill Wayfinding (a working document)

Definition of Wayfinding

“The Strategies that people use to find their way in familiar or new settings, based on their perceptual and cognitive abilities and habits.”[1]

“Wayfinding encompasses all of the ways in which people orient themselves in physical space and navigate from place to place”[2]

Potential Components of a Wayfinding Plan

• Highway Signage
• Gateway signs
• Trailblazer signs or route markers including greenways
• Historic District Gateway signs
• Special Events Signs
• Celebratory Signs
• Transportation and Parking Signs
• Public Buildings and Public Spaces
• Internet opportunities
• Bi-Lingual Opportunities
• Universal Icons

Community Benefits to Improved Signs

• Helps locals find their way throughout town more easily.
• Reinforces a community brand.
• Residents build pride and a sense of place in their community.
• Improves public safety for the entire community.

Economic Benefits to Improved Signs

• Signage will encourage visitors to comfortably explore our community.
• Good signage creates a more visitor friendly atmosphere which encourages longer stays, and thereby encourages additional spending.
• More signage will educate individuals considering a move to Chapel Hill about what our community has to offer.
• Improved signage will help companies looking to relocate to the area understand the high quality of life amenities that are offered.
• Better signage will improve safety by reducing the number of drivers making sudden turns.
• Signage will encourage pedestrian exploration and will reduce the dependence on cars.

Role or Purpose of the Wayfinding Task Force

The purpose of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership Wayfinding Task Force is to develop a collaborative, comprehensive directional plan that will shepherd visitors to our town and University attractions in an effort to improve the visitor experience.   Highway signage, route markers, gateway identification, parking locators, district kiosks, and attraction identification will all be considered as a part of this plan.

Representatives on the Task Force

Name	Title	Organization	Phone	Email
Linda Convissor	Director of Local Relations	UNC – Office of University Relations	(919) 962-9245	[email protected]
Rick Steinbacher	Assoc. Athletic Dir. - Marketing & Prom	UNC Athletics	(919) 962-6000	[email protected]
Michael Johnson		UNC Carolina Performing Arts	(919)	[email protected]
Jill Coleman	Landscape Architect	UNC facilities Planning	(919) 843-3246	[email protected]
Jeff Hill	Director of Marketing	UNC Morehead Planetarium	843-7995	[email protected]
Karen Kornegay	PR Manager	UNC Morehead Planetarium	(919) 843-7952	[email protected]
Sandy Roberts	Information & Communication Spec II	UNC Visitors Center	(919) 962-1993	[email protected]
Gary Hampton		UNC Hospitals Plant Engineering	(919) 966-5211	[email protected]
Laurie Paolicelli	Executive Director	Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Center	(919) 968-2064	[email protected]
Aaron Nelson	President & CEO	Chapel Hill Carrboro Chamber of Commerce	(919) 967-7075 X 23	[email protected]
Kumar Neppalli	Transportation Engineer	Town of Chapel Hill	(919) 969-5093	[email protected]
Catherine Lazorko	Information Officer	Town of Chapel Hill	(919) 969-5055	[email protected]
Mark Aldridge	Orange Count Representative	NCDOT		[email protected]
Liz Parham	Executive Director	Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership	(919) 967-9440	[email protected]

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[1] Wayfinding:  People, Signs & Architecture  by Romedi Passini

[2] Wikipedia - Wayfinding