Walk! Philadelphia and
Direction Philadelphia

The icon design was provided by Joel Katz design associates and the signage design was by Joel Katz design associates and the Center City District.

Two new directional signage systems will make navigating in University City easier. The distinctive signs will be installed at intersections from the Schuylkill River to 63rd Street. They ensure that people on both sides of the river can depend on the same clear directions and iconography to get around.

Direction Philadelphia, a system designed to assist motorists, was developed by the Foundation for Architecture in the mid-1980s to eliminate dated and conflicting signs to major Center City destinations. A pedestrian-oriented system, Walk!Philadelphia was developed by the Center City District and Joel Katz design associates in the mid-1990s. The clear and attractive signs have been very successful in assisting residents and visitors alike in finding their way quickly and easily around downtown. In University City, their installation will assist the districtÍs residents, employees, students, and visitors in getting to transportation, healthcare, schools and universities, and arts and culture destinations. Direction Philadelphia signs are installed from the Schuylkill River to 63rd Street, and Walk!Philadelphia signs can be found from the river to 40th Street and in the area adjacent to the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

The William Penn Foundation provided a grant for the planning and design phase. City capital funds accessed through 3rd District Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell paid for sign fabrication and installation. Those listed on the signs will be asked to pay fees to fund annual maintenance. The UCD will monitor sign conditions and contract with an outside vendor for repairs, and the maintenance fees will pay for these repairs as well as sticker and graffiti removal and installation of updated signs.

Installation of the signs is expected to be completed this month. The University City icon features 3 elements that make University City a special neighborhood in Philadelphia: unique and historic architecture, trolley cars, and tree lined streets.

Disk maps will be placed on every block in University City from the Schuylkill River to 40th Street. These maps will highlight major destinations and attractions.

Directional signs will be placed at every intersection in University City between the Schuylkill River and 40th Street.

Almanac, Vol. 48, No. 8, October 16, 2001

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Tuesday,
October 16, 2001
Volume 48 Number8
www.upenn.edu/almanac/