New Walpole Signage Planned
Walpole Wayfinding Advisory Committee to reveal design options
Walpole was among more than 120 communities around the Commonwealth that were accepted into the Massachusetts Rapid Recovery Program to support downtowns, assist local businesses and prioritize data-driven strategies and actions in the wake of impacts from Covid 19. One of the projects identified in Walpole’s Rapid Recovery Plan is the Wayfinding and Branding Program. Walpole was awarded a technical assistance grant to develop a unique brand, recommend wayfinding, and provide cost estimates for sign fabrication. The focus of the program is downtown revitalization which looks at such factors as community character, economic vitality, promotion, circulation, and public safety.
Walpole’s Wayfinding Advisory Committee was formed in early 2023 and is working with consultant Favermann Designs. Consultation fees are covered by the technical assistance grant and come at no cost to the town. The committee has been meeting since February with company founder Mark Favermann to articulate the character of our town, and try to represent that character in a set of design standards that can be used for elements of our downtown environment: signs, benches, lights, banners etc. The committee is expected to reveal some design options for Walpole this fall.
Community Design Examples from Favermann Design
Favermann Design is a Boston-based urban design firm that has created many of these “looks” for towns including Reading, Wellesley, Brookline, Sunderland, Sturbridge, Scituate, and others. The challenge is to find an image that is unique and meaningful to the community. A portfolio of Favermann’s community designs can be browsed here : Favermann Community Branding
The Wayfinding Committee is led by Patrick Deschenes, our Director of Community and Economic Development who secured this grant for the town. Members are Marc Romeo, Glenn Maffei, Jenn Karnakis, Janel Amador, Rebecca Joyce, Lisa Van der Linden, and John White.
Further details of the Massachusetts Rapid Recovery Program and Walpole’s Rapid Recovery Plan is provided in this Destination Downtown News Spotlight: Walpole’s Rapid Recovery Plan within the Massachusetts Rapid Recovery Program
Destination Downtown is a volunteer-based, community-led organization with the mission to revitalize downtown Walpole by creating a welcoming environment where people want to spend their time. Their goal is a downtown that is inviting, interesting, and pedestrian-friendly with useful public amenities – a destination for the entire Walpole community. Visit the Destination Downtown home page.
