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Spring may still be months away, but when the snow finally melts, pedestrians and cyclists will be treated to some new way-finding signage and bulletin boards with directories on the streets of Vanier. In late 2012, a group of residents on the Vanier Community Association (VCA) submitted an application to the City of Ottawa Better Neighbourhoods Program, a program which supports community driven neighbourhood improvement projects and provides funding up to $30,000 for projects that may not otherwise receive funding. The submission from the VCA included a neighbourhood way-finding system, a network of community bulletin boards and a Festival of Nations (which was held August 24, 2013). The application fit the bill for the program’s goal of supporting small scale community projects that contribute to making more livable neighbourhoods. The team, led by Nick Heisler and Ron Stone, set forth planning and developing the way-finding signage and directories projects with City of Ottawa Staff over the course of 2013, and are now just waiting for things to thaw out before installation.
The inspiration behind the way-finding signs comes from the Walk (Your City) project born as a Guerilla Signage project in Raleigh, North Carolina with the goal of promoting walkability and cycling for residents. The movement has spread to cities all over the globe, fueled by residents that want to promote walkability and neighborhood development while improving the health of their communities.
So hang on for a few more months of winter, and get ready to start following the Vanier signs and directories to unknown and known destinations.
Photos: Eva Russell (2014)