New directional signage plan presented to Nelson council

Nelson will revamp its wayfinding signage to help tourists and new residents navigate the city.

Consultant Susan Mavor of the firm Public: Architecture + Communication introduced her company’s draft plan to council at its Feb. 28 meeting.

She said the plan includes a variety of types of signs that she referred to as a “sign family” that would “roll out the welcome mat for visitors.”

The plan details how the various kinds of signs are co-ordinated in terms of colour, theme and typography.

The draft plan can be found by clicking on the wayfinding link at https://bit.ly/3YfT2YL.

In 2021 the city received funding for this project from the province’s Tourism Dependent Communities Fund, and hired Mavor’s company to create the plan.

The $700,000 grant will also pay for the construction of the three new welcome signs at the city’s entrance, to be built by the end of this summer, and for upgrades to Cottonwood Falls Park.

Mavor said the signage project sought community feedback about preferred signage style as part of its 2021 public consultation about the welcome signs. It also took direction from a focus group that included representatives from the heritage, tourism, business and social sectors as well as city staff.

“The idea was to capture as much as possible the sense of the fabric of the city — tough to do in simple signs,” said Mavor, adding that the focus group and the public wanted “something contemporary but with a timeless feel, with strong legibility.”

The draft plan was presented to council for information only and will come to the table for approval at a later meeting.

• Nelson launches design competition for welcome signs

bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com
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