wayfinding system strategy for parks & trails (phase one)

Toronto Parks & Trails Wayfinding Strategy final report december 2014 ii understanding

Wayfinding System Strategy for Toronto Parks & Trails (Phase One) The City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry & Recreation team has initiated an ambitious project to improve wayfinding across the City parklands. The project aim is to implement a unified wayfinding system for parks and trails that provides consistent identification, orientation and navigation across parklands. For further Acknowledgments - Advisory Committee information please contact: Garth Armour, PF&R – Horticulture & Janette Harvey Greenhouse Operations, Manager City of Toronto - Laura Atkins, PF&R – Policy & System Parks, Forestry & Planning, Project Manager Recreation (416) 392-1339 Michael Bertuzzi, EDC – Visitor jharvey3@ Services, Manager toronto.ca Lorene Bodiam, PF&R – Community Development, Advocate for People with Disabilities Prepared for the City of Toronto by: Trena Cesario, PF&R – Partnership Development, Business Development Officer Steer Davies Gleave Halina Cieszynska, PF&R – Operational 1500-330 Bay Street Effectiveness Unit, Change Leader Toronto, ON Tara Coley, PF&R – Standards & M5H 2S8 Innovation, Project Coordinator In association with: Carol Cormier, PF&R – Standards DIALOG & Innovation, Manager Peter Sexton, PF&R – Policy & Completed in System Planning, Planner September 2014 Stewart McIntosh, PF&R – Planning Design All images by & Development, Landscape Architect Steer Davies Shannon Olliffe, City Clerk’s Office Gleave unless – Design Services, Supervisor otherwise stated. Wayne Reeves, EDC – Museum Services, Chief Curator Brittany Reid, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Project Landscape Designer Rob Richardson, PF&R – Partnership Development, Manager Chris Ronson, Transportation Services – Public Realm, Project Manager Ed Fearon, PF&R – Standards & Innovation, Program Standards & Development Officer Kim Statham, PF&R – Urban Forestry Policy & Planning, Program Standards & Development Officer Jennifer Wing, Strategic Communications, Communications Advisor 3

Introduction

With more than 1,600 public parks and 600 km of trails Toronto’s parks network covers a substantial 13% of the City’s land area and is one of its greatest assets - essential to improving residents’ quality of life.

The City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry & Recreation about this report Further information on the project (PF&R) team has initiated an ambitious project This report summarizes the outcomes of the process, to improve wayfinding across the City parklands. Toronto Parks & Trails Wayfinding (Phase One) consultation reports and materials, and The project aim is to implement a unified study, which began in January 2014. The study presentations can be found on the wayfinding system for parks and trails that: aimed to establish a wayfinding strategy and project website. • Provides consistent identification, design framework, and to provide strategic orientation and navigation in and direction for subsequent implementation. around parks and trails; The report is structured as three • Encourages visiting, exploring and sections, plus an introduction. appreciation of Toronto’s natural assets; • Introduction briefly describes the • Serves all park and trail users study objectives and policy context. regardless of their abilities; • Section 1 “Understanding” summarizes the • Reduces clutter and redundant infrastructure findings from on-site observations, including on parks and trails, thereby enhancing gaps and opportunities. It incorporates an the natural environment; and overview of the challenges, a brief review of international best practices, and the • Is economically sustainable and results of stakeholder outreach activities. viable in the long term. • Section 2 “Design principles” describes The project builds on the Toronto 360 (TO360) the design framework and proposed system Wayfinding Strategy; an initiative to enhance components, including an indicative sign pedestrian wayfinding around the city and family, digital components, placemaking improve connections between all transportation considerations and integration with other modes. signage and information systems. • Section 3 “Delivery” describes the proposed pilot scheme set in the Lower Don Valley, a high-level project plan and budget implications. 4 introduction

Wayfinding in Toronto

Wayfinding encompasses all the ways in which people understand their surroundings and navigate from place to place. Wayfinding is more than signs - it also includes names, landmarks, conventions, maps and new media.

City wayfinding relates to the built and the toronto parks & trails natural environment and makes streets, wayfinding strategy neighbourhoods, and the city more ‘legible’, The Toronto Parks & Trails (TP&T) Wayfinding helping people to find their way. Wayfinding Strategy focus is on improving wayfinding in is more than signs—it includes names, maps, parklands managed by the City of Toronto. new media, and elements of the public realm The TP&T strategy is also a three-phase process: such as lighting, street furniture and public art. • Phase One (2014 - this report): establish Many cities such as London, New York, a design framework and provide strategic Bogota, Vancouver and Moscow have recently direction for subsequent phases. developed wayfinding strategies in response • Phase Two (2015): detailed to significant transportation challenges and/ design, implementation and or major events such as the Olympics. The evaluation of a Pilot scheme. successful implementation of unified wayfinding • Phase Three (2016 and beyond): creation of systems is proven to deliver significant benefits final design guidelines and city-wide rollout. to residents, businesses, and tourists. The core objective of Phase One was to interpret to360 wayfinding strategy and extend the TO360 wayfinding strategy and In 2011 the City of Toronto launched design principles to develop a common language the Toronto 360 (TO360) Wayfinding for wayfinding to address the needs of park and Strategy to develop a unified multi- trail users. modal wayfinding system for the city. Main activities included: The Strategy is a three-phase process: • Background research of current and • Phase One (2011-2012): develop planned policy and signage initiatives; guiding principles, themes, and a • Interviews with over 20 stakeholders conceptual design for the system. and special interest groups; • Phase Two (2014-2015): detailed design, • Visual audits of eight case study implementation and evaluation of a parkland types across Toronto; pilot scheme in the Financial District. • Review of international examples; • Phase Three (2016 and beyond): • Pop-up consultation events in four locations creation of final design guidelines and to garner initial feedback from park users; city-wide implementation rollout. • Concept design for a family of signs, including function, content and placement; and • Definition of a Pilot Scheme for Phase Two. introduction 5

Key objectives

Parklands across the city serve as landmarks, destinations, and connectors. They are important to pedestrian and cycle movements –both generating and facilitating trips. The project is articulated around five key objectives.

identification, orientation and navigation

Provide consistent identification, orientation and navigation in and around parks and trails – including connections to/from the city by all modes of transportation.

encourage visiting, exploring and appreciation

raise awareness of what parks The parkland context have to offer provides an opportunity to promote interaction with heritage and conservation, flora and fauna –resulting improve in better appreciation confidence to Promote the use of parks and improve of Toronto’s heritage walk/explore trails for physical activity, perception of and natural assets. general recreation and park user safety relaxation and also facilitate their use as community hubs. Physical and psychological barriers and a frequent Address safety concerns at overestimation of walk all levels including warning distances/times have of hazards, improved been identified as some emergency information, of the main deterrents for pedestrian/cycle conflict walking and exploration. management, and safe park and trail access for users of all abilities.

Wayfinding System Strategy for Toronto Parks & Trails (Phase One) 6 introduction

Directional policy & related projects

Various studies and related projects have highlighted the need for a unified wayfinding system for Toronto. The solution needs to adhere to existing policies, in particular those related to design guidelines and standards.

A policy review identified the objectives parks plan (2013-2017)

Parks Plan and strategies that underpin current 2013 – 2017 The Parks Plan will guide PF&R’s wayfinding-related initiatives in Toronto. delivery of services between Over a dozen policy and planning documents 2013-2017. The Plan recognizes were reviewed and can be aggregated Parks, Forestry and Recreation the role of parks in offering into a hierarchy of two categories: accessible outdoor leisure, recreation, and transportation routes that make Toronto Directional policy: provides guiding policy an attractive place to live, work and visit. direction for wayfinding and includes: The plan balances encouraging public • Parks Plan (2013-2017) use and involvement in the park, while • Toronto Walking Strategy preserving parks for future generations. • Toronto 360 Wayfinding Strategy Issues addressed in the Parks Plan that are (Phase 1 - Principles) relevant to the TP&T Wayfinding Strategy include: • Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities • A growing and increasingly diverse Act (AODA, 2005) and City of Toronto population means more users, and more Accessibility Design Guidelines (2004) competition for use of limited park space; • Toronto Multi-Use Trail Design • High demand for community Guidelines (Draft) involvement in park programming, • Toronto Safer City Guidelines design and decision making; • Increasing involvement of Related Projects: includes relevant projects, partners and volunteers; studies, and policy with specific wayfinding and signage strategies. The review included: • Need to protect environmentally sensitive areas, and to preserve • Heritage Toronto Signs parks for future generations; • • The requirement to adapt facilities and • Emergency Services wayfinding in parks services to comply with the Accessibility • Toronto 360 Wayfinding Strategy (Phase 2 for Ontarians with Disabilities Act; and - Design and pilot project implementation) • Need for data collection to provide • consistent information on park use. • Toronto Island Disc Golf The TP&T Wayfinding Strategy should • Discovery Walks consider the importance of community involvement in developing, implementing Initial proposals to integrate with these and other and securing a parks wayfinding system. existing and planned sign systems are included on page 38. introduction 7

wayfinding system strategy (phase one) toronto walking strategy for the city of toronto toronto 360 wayfinding The Walking Strategy is supported strategy by a number of other policies T The Toronto 360 Wayfinding

Toronto 360° Wayfinding Strategy Strategy set out a design such as the Official Plan, the final report Toronto Pedestrian Charter, International framework to inform the Charter for Walking, and other guidelines implementation of a multi-modal wayfinding and programs, such as the Vibrant Streets system in Toronto. The long-term vision is to policy. The walkable Toronto concept builds provide the city with consistent wayfinding, on a number of policies and documents and to enable project partners to adopt the that support walkable communities and principles for their own schemes. The strategy the creation of urban environments that also aims to influence the city’s urban design support increased pedestrian activity. to support intuitive wayfinding and movement. Objectives of the Walking Strategy of Objectives from this strategy that are relevant particular relevance to the development of to the TP&T Wayfinding Strategy include: the TP&T Wayfinding Strategy include: • Encourage exploration, wandering and • To support and nurture a culture of discovery: wayfinding provides the walking throughout the city; tools for people to rediscover the city • For all city sidewalks and walkways to be and to ‘get lost’ in the knowledge that clear, accessible and easy to navigate; they will find their way back; and • For public and private city building • Build confidence and trust to walk. projects to provide opportunities to create The TP&T Wayfinding Strategy should seek a high-quality walking environment; to integrate with the Toronto 360 Wayfinding • To make walking easy and enjoyable Strategy where possible to create a seamless through provision of tools for navigating the wayfinding system across the city. city on foot, such as signage and maps; • To coordinate pedestrian-focused projects and initiatives across city divisions and agencies; and • To transform areas poorly designed for walking, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood, into places where people want to walk.

Wayfinding System Strategy for Toronto Parks & Trails (Phase One) 8 introduction

aoda • Have high tonal contrast with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities its background, and Act (2005) establishes a regulatory framework • Use a sans serif font for its characters. for accessibility. These regulations apply to Consultation with Toronto’s accessibility Toronto parks as public spaces. The Act lays groups is a requirement for all new out mandatory standards on accessibility or redevelopment projects. in all areas of daily life. Public spaces must meet AODA standards for new construction toronto multi-use trail design guidelines and renovations. While many AODA policies (draft) relating to the design of public spaces do The Toronto Multi-Use Trail Design Guidelines not directly affect deliverables of the TP&T have been developed to direct design of the Wayfinding Strategy, these policies do provide Toronto off-road trail network. Guiding Principles insight into barriers to accessibility in parks that are relevant to this strategy include: and can help inform signage and wayfinding • Consistency and excellence: trails to mitigate these barriers. Policies relevant need to be consistently designed, to the TP&T Wayfinding Strategy include: constructed, and maintained, and to As a minimum requirement, signage for new exceed existing best practice thresholds; or redeveloped recreational trails must be • Accessibility: all people are placed at each trail head and provide the welcome on Toronto’s Multi-Use following information to all trail users: Trails, regardless of ability; and • Trail length • Sustainability: design, construction • Surface type on the trail and maintenance shall be as • Average and minimum trail width sustainable as possible. • Average and maximum running slope toronto safer city guidelines • Average and maximum cross slope, and This document contains a great deal of • Location of amenities, where provided. information regarding best practices for creating safer public spaces, including A trail head refers to a point of access to a parks. The Neighbourhood Parks and trail. Trail heads are commonly located close Playground section specifically refers to to a sidewalk or parking area. Organizations signage content such as park identification, must identify which entrance/exit points to a location of facilities, identification of more/ recreational trail are trail heads to determine less isolated paths, how help can be found, where the signage requirements will apply. and reporting of maintenance problems. To help people with low or no vision and make the signage easier to read, the text on the signage must: 9 1 Understanding understanding 11

Toronto has over 1,600 public parks across the city Toronto’s many parks differ in size, setting, features, facilities and amenities. Part of a greater whole, the parks and trails form part of an extensive open space network of private and public spaces across the city. The city also has approximately 300 kilometres of off-street, multi-use trails for hiking, biking and walking. 12 understanding

Case study areas

Eight case study parkland areas were selected for detailed observation. The areas exhibit many of Toronto parks typical characteristics and are representative of different settings and scales, park classifications and activities.

The case studies identified a diverse range of Toronto park and trail wayfinding challenges and opportunities. The data collected was used to inform development and testing of the TP&T wayfinding strategy. Observations focused on the following considerations: • Getting there (information from transit, bus, parking); • Gateways (how do you know you are there); • Understanding (welcome, context, park function/ role, features, areas); • Moving around, navigating cs1 humber arboretum cs2 garrison creek the parks (washrooms, sport facilities); park name park names • Activities (sports, Humber Arboretum , Bickford Park, Art playgrounds, commuter Eggleton Park, Trinity Bellwoods rationale cycling, dog walking); Large city park. rationale • Regulatory signs; Tri-party agreement (various Various district, community • Interpretation (places, stakeholders, wayfinding and neighbourhood parks views, flora & fauna, systems, branding), connected connected via Garrison animal life, heritage); and to the Humber Trail, Discovery Creek Discovery Walk. • Getting away (connecting Walk, natural environment Trinity Bellwoods is an example back to transit/other parks). trail improvements, concept of an urban community park Observations were initially master plan for improvements which is becoming a more made during early April with to a portion of the park attractive destination due to sites still recovering from a completed in 2013. its success as a community harsh winter and experiencing facility and is being sought out low level of public activity. beyond the local community. Many sites were therefore revisited during spring. understanding 13

cs3 riverdale area cs4 cedar ridge area cs5 eglinton flats area trail and park names park name park names Lower Don Trail, Cedar Ridge Park Eglinton Flats East, Riverdale Park West rationale rationale rationale Good example of natural Confusing parkland on all four Lower Don Trail is part surface trails, connection quadrants of Jane/Eglinton of Pan Am Path route, to Morningside Park, (northwest and southeast are connections to nearby parks cultural facility on site. both named Eglinton Flats). and trails, multiple naming conventions, Discovery Walk. background info Cedar Ridge Trail Conceptual background info Design (2014), implementation Corktown Commons Plan scheduled for 2014-2015. (2010); Connecting Trails, Communities and the Brickworks in the Lower Don (2011); Lower Don Trail Access, Environment & Art Master Plan (2013). 14 understanding

cs6 downtown parks cs7 woodbine parks cs8 sentinel park area park names trail and park names park names , Cloud , Sentinel Park, Derrydowns Park Gardens, , Woodbine Park, Ashbridges rationale Sculpture Garden Parkette Bay Park, Pump House Park Sentinel Park is poorly rationale rationale connected to nearby Roundhouse Park is surrounded Woodbine Parks area is an Derrydowns Park (selected by major landmarks & nearby example of waterfront and for geographic diversity). attractions, interface with beach setting and includes Derrydowns Park was observed TO360 wayfinding system. the multi-use Martin Goodman only for connections and access represents Trail (Waterfront Trail). to and from Sentinel Park. the urban context and Berczy background info Park is being redeveloped. Improving Safety and Sculpture Garden Parkette Awareness on the Martin is a small urban park with Goodman Trail: map, temporary artwork exhibitions. signage and markings (implemented in 2012). 15

Existing conditions

Toronto has a profusion of formal and informal signage and information systems. From humble road signs to interactive booths, all of these contribute to people’s understanding of the city with varying levels of success.

existing municipal signage in parks and trails Toronto already has a municipal park signage system in place. Its primary functions are to identify the park (name and address), to encourage positive/ discourage negative behaviors, and enforce by-laws. These signs are visually consistent with the City of Toronto’s corporate identity program and can be easily related back to other municipal signage such as Fire Stations, Emergency Services, and Libraries. The majority of the signs show some level of deterioration due to: • Weather: signs of poor water-proofing; • Sun and light exposure: faded graphics and colours; and • Age: natural deterioration of timber and finishing. Although the current system has been consistently implemented across the city, many redundant, duplicated, and outdated legacy municipal signs remain. Some of these can be traced back to pre-amalgamated Toronto and many show signs of poor or no maintenance over time – including graffiti, rust, fading, and in some cases, structural issues. 1616

discovery walks Discovery Walks is a program of self-guided walks that link city ravines, parks, gardens, beaches and neighbourhoods. Discovery Walk trailhead panels offer an overview of the walk and surrounding area. Most signs are faded and poorly maintained – making them unattractive and difficult to read. Some signs are in poor structural condition. Discovery Walk discs provide route confirmation within parks and on-street. Discs have no route identification or destinations and are often installed in pairs of logo and directional arrow.

multi-use trails Various standard municipal and customized signs can be found on multi-use trails such as the Lower Don Trail and along the waterfront. Signage is focused on route identification, exits, destinations, and distances, as well as messaging on trail etiquette. Signage systems include: • Multi use recreational trail signage, • Bikeway Network Wayfinding Signage, • Martin Goodman Trail, • Waterfront Trail (regional), and • (national).

Wayfinding System Strategy for Toronto Parks & Trails (Phase One) 1717

interpretation Parks provide an opportunity to engage and reconnect citizens with nature. As such interpretive information regarding flora and fauna in parklands has been installed with various levels of consistency in placement, content and accessibility. Examples include: • Parkland naturalization, • Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and • Legacy PF&R signage.

heritage Parks and green spaces are often considered as suitable places to provide heritage information, both regarding the history of the park and more widely of surrounding neighborhoods. Examples include: • Heritage Toronto, • Heritage Trust, and • BIA/Neighbourhood initiatives.

Wayfinding System Strategy for Toronto Parks & Trails (Phase One) 1818

customized or park spe- cific Many large parks, parks with multiple ownership and/or management, and those with specific functions such as community gardens, have had their own signage systems developed. These systems often