InsightPlacemaking in Provo
An Interview with Sharmi Patel
Two Twelve was recently selected to develop a comprehensive wayfinding and signage system for the city of Provo, Utah. Sharmi Patel is a Senior Designer who has been at Two Twelve for 3 years and is a senior designer on the team for the Downtown Provo City Wayfinding project.
What were you doing in Provo?
We went to Utah to kick off the downtown Provo wayfinding project. Our first step in all downtown wayfinding projects is to conduct site surveys, interview stakeholders, and generally get to know the town in order to proceed with our wayfinding analysis, strategy, and design. One of the groups we met with in Provo was the Strike Force, a group comprised of city government officials and others who meet regularly to work on initiatives to better Provo. One of the gentlemen on the Strike Force told us that we happened to be in town on the first day of the new FrontRunner suburban train service. The ribbon cutting was happening later that day and he invited us to attend. This was a great opportunity for us to witness first hand how the community runs and what the people and culture of Provo are like.
What was the event you attended?
The event was the official Provo ribbon cutting for the UTA new FrontRunner train. The FrontRunner is a commuter rail connecting a string of towns that run along the Wasatch mountains. The day of the ribbon cutting, various mayors and dignitaries from the towns serviced by the FrontRunner rode the train on it’s inaugural trip from Salt Lake City to Provo. Previous to the FrontRunner, there was no rail connection between Salt Lake and towns to the South. Anyone from out of town wanting to visit the southern cities would need to rent a car or take long-distance busses. The commuter rail is the first of it’s kind in Utah: more than just a train line, the FrontRunner is a demonstration of the various communities’ ability to come together in difficult economic times to accomplish a grand municipal project. The developers were able to take advantage of low construction costs during the recession, a time when many people were putting development on hold. Community members are rightfully proud of their collective accomplishment and the project will be a boon to Provo and the other towns. It was great to be able to witness the inception of this project.
Why was this event particularly interesting to you as a wayfinding expert?
This event was an opportunity to see the community culture in a way we aren’t usually able to from one-on-one interviews. As mere spectators not participating in the event, we were able to observe as outsiders the way the community talks about it’s own project: the political and community angles that are integral to the culture of the place. Understanding community culture is a big part of what we call "Placemaking" and seeing an event of this type was integral for building our understanding. While a technical analysis of a city's wayfinding issues can certainly result in a functioning sign system, the thing that allows us to turn the signs into true placemaking elements is the design aesthetic that results from gaining an understanding of the culture. A cohesive signage strategy not only helps you find your way, but it also creates a visual and atmospheric impact that strengthens and defines the identity of a place.
What do you think this means for Provo?
A multi-modal transportation push is important for any cities’ growth and development. The commuter rail promotes non-vehicular access to Provo, which will lead to an influx of pedestrian traffic to the city. It will be instrumental in helping Provo attract visitors and businesses. This is something we will be keenly aware of accommodating as we work to develop a successful wayfinding system to guide pedestrians from the rail station to the heart of downtown and direct cars through the city to the station.
The FrontRunner and our comprehensive wayfinding signage system will work together to make Provo an even more hospitable place to visit, live, study, and do business.
Any other observations or interesting anecdotes?
We were especially struck by the natural beauty of the mountains around Provo. Roads seem to dead-end right into the mountains, they’re a gorgeous and prominent part of the landscape. It seems really wonderful to be able to live in a place with the natural beauty of Provo.
