The City of Vancouver, British Columbia is a large municipality of 115sqkm but its downtown core is located on a small peninsula surrounded by the ocean and famous the Stanley Park. A system of street maps had been in place since the 2010 Winter Olympic Games but by 2012 these were out of date and inadequate for the City’s future needs.

Applied were hired by the City of Vancouver to prepare prototype map-based wayfinding to replace the Olympic maps in the downtown core. The brief included focusing on walking, integrating the needs and interests of the Downtown Business Improvement Areas (BIA) and transit authority, and developing a graphic character for the city. We prepared heads up street maps at different walking scales, system iconography, promotional tear-off print maps and themed poster maps promoting downtown attractions. Also included in the brief was development of a concept for a smart phone application.

The prototype was completed in time for the start of the Viva! Vancouver street festival season and new street maps were installed in four locations to test public opinion. The City of Vancouver surveyed the public and found:

 

• 81% previously had little or no knowledge of downtown areas

 

• 87% found the ahead up format easy to use

 

• 82% were encouraged to walk between places

The prototype is now subject to a procurement process for wider roll-out including Applied’s proposed system of GIS based map production for print and online applications.