Seattle, the emerald city, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. The city has developed into a technology center in the last decade, with companies like Microsoft and Amazon setting up their headquarters. The new stream of software, biotechnology, and internet companies led to an economic revival, increasing the population exponentially.
The growing population generated increased vehicle emissions as well. To manage the degrading air quality, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has planned to encourage walking and make Seattle one of the most walkable cities in the US.
Based on the Legible London Model, Seamless Seattle is a citywide wayfinding system that will make Seattle more legible and accessible for local residents, commuters, and visitors.
The system will be developed by Applied Information Group, a multi-discipline design consultancy. The group has partnered with local businesses Alta Planning + Design and 3 Square Blocks to involve community and business leaders in the planning and designing stage. The new system will make walking a simpler choice for users and also create clearer connections between other modes of transport.
The system will include heads up mapping on street signs to help the users quickly adapt with respect to their surroundings, illustrations, slope information, and accessible entrances to transit.
The system will use proper contrast for legibility, optimization for color blindness, large type sizes, a balance of content, and simplified topography to make it suitable for a wide range of users.
In addition, it will also have Braille and tactile panels to provide orientation information on all signs and integration of non-English languages.
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