The Downtown Parking branding and wayfinding program unifies all signs and information graphics related to Public Parking in Downtown Glendale into a single coherent brand, designed around “Blue Circle P,” the universal symbol for parking.
A significant component of the Citywide Sign Standards, the Downtown Parking Signs are also an important implementation measure of the Downtown Specific Plan. As identified by the Downtown Mobility Study, a consistent series of signs related to Public Parking will not only help reduce congestion by directing drivers immediately to their parking destination, but also alleviate the perception that Downtown doesn’t have enough parking by communicating extensive parking resources under a single brand identity.
The scope includes graphics for digital parking meters on curbside and off-street lots, new static wayfinding signs along primary streets, as well as uniform graphics and dynamic “spaces available” signs at the three City-owned garages. This final component integrates background technology upgrades in garage operations to transmit real-time occupancy data to signs at key decision points along primary entry routes into the Downtown, as well as at the garage entries themselves. Upon arriving at a Public Parking structure, the signature design element of the Downtown Parking Signs are the neon “P-A-R-K” signs, inspired by the collection at the Museum of Neon Art.
As Principal Urban Designer at the City of Glendale, Alan Loomis was the lead urban designer for the Downtown Parking Signs, which was developed by Hunt Design.