Published April 17, 2020
MELROSE — The City of Melrose, through the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), announces that it has kicked-off a Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking Initiative.
Working with consultants Selbert Perkins Design and the Civic Space Collaborative, the city will be developing a wayfinding and creative placemaking strategy for Melrose through the lens of public art. This work is made possible entirely through a grant from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership and Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism. A portion of the funding will go toward the development of the Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking Plan while the remaining funds will go toward carrying out pilot projects during the summer of 2020.
The purpose of the project is to make Melrose’s downtown even more welcoming, build on its Victorian identity to enhance the sense that this is a unique place, guide pedestrians and cyclists, and connect the downtown with other business areas. It will involve a comprehensive public engagement process to develop a wayfinding system that speaks to Melrose’s past and present, features public art, highlights local artists, and provides multi-modal wayfinding.
A Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking Committee consisting of community members and city staff has been established by Mayor Paul Brodeur to advise this process and assist with public outreach.
Following site visits and an audit of existing conditions, the design team from Selbert Perkins Design will work with OPCD staff and the Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking Committee to identify suitable types of placemaking and wayfinding elements for Melrose, recommend key locations for these elements, and develop conceptual designs that illustrate what the elements could look like for presentation to the public. Elements to be explored for the wayfinding system will range from traditional directional signage and interpretive panels to imaginative murals and pavement markings.
In announcing the initiative, Mayor Brodeur acknowledged the unique circumstances posed by the current public health crisis. “The goal of this initiative will be to engage residents from the comfort and safety of their homes,” said Brodeur “and to foster a sense of community in a fun and accessible way.” Engagement will take the form of remote community meetings and an online survey. Decisions around which placemaking and wayfinding elements and locations to prioritize and then pilot will be based heavily on feedback from the community.
For additional information or questions about the Wayfinding & Creative Placemaking Initiative, please contact Denise Gaffey, director & City Planner, at dgaffey@cityofmelrose.org.