Create a sense of place through geographic physicality, community priorities, and little-known and culturally diverse local history.
Increase safe mobility throughout the rapidly developing Mount Baker neighborhood, including safe passage for students, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Drive foot traffic to local businesses to spur economic development.
Addresses physical and equity gaps in accessibility, infrastructure, and culture that frequently follow transit-oriented development in historic neighborhoods.
Strategy:
Outreach to and active participation by community groups, individual residents, business stakeholders, and alumni of the local high school situated at the heart of the community, via interviews, listening sessions, and focus groups.
Comprehensive historical survey.
Concept:
A three-part project including community identity, wayfinding map and signage, and “Mind the Gap” installation centering on a pedestrian overpass.
The “Great Heights” identity focuses on the physical hill and valley layout of the community with a connecting crisscross of major throughways and parkways. Color coding highlighted various “micro-communities” and connections. As we researched, we found that the major Mount Baker crossroads are underpinned by an Olmstead plan for interconnected parks and boulevards intended to bridge gaps in economic and cultural diversity in the community, and that the crossroads served as the home to two baseball stadiums where Babe Ruth and Jimi Hendrix both gave legendary performances, as well as beautiful Franklin High School with its extraordinary alumni that made significant impacts on the world through science, art, and sports regardless of cultural background or personal challenges.
These stories were included in the extensive map portion of the project which highlighted dozens of points of interest, mass transit, businesses, and safe pedestrian and cycling trails and routes.
The “Mind the Gap” installation centered on a 40-year-old pedestrian overpass, spanning a convergence of extremely busy commuter throughways but is also a bridge connecting cultures and resources. The Seattle Design Festival provided an opportunity to temporarily transform the bridge into a venue that engages the community with stories uncovered during the recent “Mount Baker: Great Heights” neighborhood identity project.
Deliverables:
Community outreach to residents, stakeholders, and businesses
Collaborate with stakeholders to prioritize locations for wayfinding and mapping project
Wayfinding map highlighting points of interest, public transit, pedestrian and bike trail, and retail provided to locals and Seattle Tourism
Community Identity Development
Presentation and Review with eight separate community stakeholder groups
Revisions on Final Identity
Final Identity Files
Style Guide of identity standards, correct usage, color palette, and fonts
Historical research
Physical wayfinding throughout the community
“Mind the Gap” art installation activating a safe but neglected pedestrian overpass, encompassing community history highlights and physical wayfinding signage
Results:
The result inspired cohesive community ownership on a deeper level.
The end product included a local map that highlights local amenities, businesses, and compelling, inclusive history. This design work is the inspiration for the story banners and additional decoration and wayfinding on the bridge.
The map became a staple for Seattle Office of Tourism, local informational kiosks, real estate agents, and local businesses, and were credited with additional foot traffic to businesses, and an upwelling in community pride. The banners created for the installation were featured in multiple locations and events that followed “Mind the Gap.”
The Mount Baker: Great Heights, wayfinding, mapping, and “Mind the Gap” were funded by a Federal Community Cornerstones grant, in conjunction with the Seattle Office of Economic Development Only In Seattle program with facilitation from SEED and SEEDArts.
Project Date
2015
Project Type
Wayfinding, Community Identity
Client
Seattle Office of Economic Development, Southeast Effective Development (SEED) Seattle, SEEDArts, Seattle Arts Foundation, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Mount Baker Lofts, City of Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Friends of Mount Baker Town Center, Safe Routes to School
