WATFORD TOWN CENTRE Waymarking Strategy
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WATFORD TOWN CENTRE Waymarking Strategy Watford Waymarking Strategy 1 Contents Introduction 1 Summary 53 Delivery 1 Introduction 53 Introduction 2 Design Philosophy 53 Costing 2 Content 54 Digital 3 Strategy Tools 54 Printed 4 Delivery 55 Physical 4 Pilot 56 Local 56 Maintenance & Updates 7 Introduction 57 Project Timeline 7 What is Waymarking? 7 The Study & Team Appendix A 8 Project Aims Pilot 8 Project Approach Appendix B 9 Context 9 Study Area Selected Destinations / Attractors 10 Town Centre 10 Cultural Strategy Appendix C 11 Existing Waymarking Content Mapping 13 Design Philosophy 15 Content 16 Base Mapping 18 Destinations / Attractors 20 Pedestrian Routes 22 Decision Points 24 Districts / Zones 26 Public Transport & Facilities 28 Signage Locations 31 Strategy Tools 32 Digital 34 Printed 35 Physical 46 Local Watford Waymarking Strategy Summary Contents Introduction Introduction What is Waymarking? Context Waymarking is the use of signage features to help The focus of the study is on the area considered to be people get from A to B. Each pedestrian journey includes the ‘town centre’ (shown below), incorporating Watford a series of orientation and navigation ‘moments’. At Junction and Watford High Street Stations, as well as these points, decisions are made in order to influence West Herts College and the south-eastern entrance to and continue the journey. At each of these ‘moments’ Cassiobury Park. we use the information available to us to help make In 2009, a Cultural Strategy was developed for the informed decisions about where to go next. town centre, which aimed to embrace culture in order Waymarking strategies help to establish a coherent to drive regeneration and place-making. The Strategy approach to providing this information so as to ensure recognises the need to provide a coherent approach to the ongoing effectiveness of wayfinding measures. signage to facilitate movement within, to and through the town centre. With Watford playing an important role as focal point for the sub-region, pedestrian movement Benefits of Effective Waymarking to and from public transport infrastructure and car parks is of the upmost importance. → Reducing vehicular traffic levels through increased adoption of walking; → Promoting active travel and healthy lifestyles; → Increasing footfall, supporting local businesses; N → Increased opportunities for social interaction; and → Providing opportunities to discover hidden local features, attractions and amenities. The Study JMP Consultants Ltd (JMP) was commissioned by Watford Borough Council in October 2011 to produce a Waymarking Strategy for Watford’s town centre, in order to support the framework of improvements identified in the Watford Town Centre Cultural Strategy. The project has two aspects; the design and delivery of two signs at either end of Clarendon Road, and the production of an overarching strategy to guide the delivery of signage within Watford. Watford Waymarking Strategy 1 Summary Design Philosophy Content A set of key design principles have been developed in The strategy itself consists of numerous layers of order to provide a solid foundation for the development information, which are combined to form a complete of Watford’s Waymarking Strategy: picture of the town centre. Reliable Base Mapping Consistent, hierarchical information made available at The base mapping is derived from Ordnance Survey increasing levels of detail at each stage of the journey, map data, adapted to fit the visual style of the strategy. supporting users at critical moments. Destinations / Attractors Flexible The destinations chosen for inclusion were based The strategy should be available in a range of media on research and consultation. The list of destinations in order to maximise applicability and use. All strategy was refined according to perceived importance to elements should be consistent in style and approach. pedestrians, as well as Council objectives. Adaptable Pedestrian Routes The system should be able to expand and adapt over Pedestrian footfall varies throughout the town centre. time, as and when funding becomes available, and/ Route hierarchies within Watford are established or when important changes to the local environment based on land-use, desire-lines, topography and other require updates to the information displayed. factors. Playful Decision Points Smaller-scale hints and features should be used to At particular moments on any pedestrian journey, the supplement traditional waymarking techniques. Public user looks for navigational clues before continuing. realm improvements can be harnessed to embed Decision points are generally found at the point of waymarking elements and to make walking routes convergence of pedestrian routes. recognisable and entertaining. Districts / Zones Universal The Watford Character of Area Study has been used The system should adopt the recognisable language as the basis for the identification of a number of districts created by neighbouring schemes such as Legible to aid navigation. London in order to ensure consistency and continuity. Public Transport & Facilities Stimulating Public transport infrastructure and public facilities are Waymarking features not only provide a directional generally permanent (minimal chance of becoming service, but can also be used to unveil otherwise hidden outdated), and particularly useful for pedestrians. local assets, stimulating regeneration and exploration. Signage Locations Responsive Signage must be positioned in a way that allows for Every element of the system must respond to the them to be seen as part of an integrated, connected needs of different users, throughout the journey. system, corresponding closely to the decision points. 2 Watford Waymarking Strategy Summary Strategy Tools The strategy proposes a family of waymarking tools that will help the local and visiting population navigate the streets of Watford. These split into four categories, with each element designed to complement each other. Digital Waymarking is not limited to on-ground signage, but should also be available in advance and on-demand throughout a journey. Two systems are proposed, an online mapping tool and a mobile wayfinding application. Printed Printed media allows for on-demand offline navigation, supporting those without access to the internet or mobile devices. Two printed mapping leaflets are proposed; one looking at the town centre as a whole, and the other catering specifically for the needs of the disabled. Physical Effective on-ground waymarking offers a connected experience for their users. Different stages of the journey require different approaches to signage. Five types of physical sign are proposed for Watford: → Monolith; → Minilith; → Fingerpost; → Wall-mounted / Street Nameplate; and → Posters. Local Waymarking should not be limited to traditional techniques. Opportunities should be sought to introduce artwork and more innovative approaches. A number of locations for this type of signage have been identified. Watford Waymarking Strategy 3 Summary Delivery Pilot It is not envisaged that the waymarking strategy will Two signs are to be installed as a pilot for the be delivered in a single tranche of works. Rather, it is widespread roll-out of signage as part of the Watford anticipated that individual elements will be delivered as Waymarking Strategy. and when funding becomes available. Form & Location Outline costs have been derived for each waymarking element, based on costs associated with comparable The two pilot signs will be monoliths. The first sign will schemes and projects across the UK. Efforts should be located at Watford Junction Station, directly outside be made to deliver multiple signs at a time to ensure its remodelled entrance. The second sign will be found economies of scale. at the junction of High Street and Clarendon Road, catering for pedestrians walking along the High Street Indicative Costs as well as those using Clarendon Road. Digital Content → £25,000 (mapping website) Each sign will include information relating to the → £10,000 (mobile application/website) sign’s exact location and district, as well as arrows pointing towards key destinations and surrounding Printed neighbourhoods. → £15,000 (cost variable depending on print-run) The mapping panel will be positioned centrally within Physical the signs, and will be overlaid with a grid to enable pedestrians to locate roads and destinations using a → £1,500 (artwork per unit) glossary system below. → £5,000 (monolith/minilith manufacture per unit) QR codes will provide an additional layer of information, → £3,000 (fingerpost manufacture per unit) accessible to those carrying smartphones. → £1,500 (wall-mounted / nameplate per unit) Delivery → £150 (poster printing per unit) Upon commission, it is anticipated that the signs will be Local delivered in 6-12 weeks, depending on sign complexity and manufacturer workload. → Variable depending on scope of work The commissioning of the Watford Junction sign is designed to coincide as far as possible with the improvement works taking place at the station in order to minimise the risk of damage to the sign or its setting. The cost of each sign is anticipated to be around £5,000. 4 Watford Waymarking Strategy Summary 700mm 100mm 2300mm 2200mm DISTRICT NAME Location Name DISTRICT NAME Destination One Destination Two Destination Three Destination Four DISTRICT NAME Destination One Destination Two Destination Three Destination Four 1800mm NAME LOCATION A B C D E F G H I J K L M N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9