Toronto Parks & Trails

Sep 21

Modular signage and wayfinding standards for urban greenspaces and multi-use trails.

Toronto park wayfinding sign designed by Steer

Toronto’s network of 1,600 parks and 600km of multi-use trails is one of the city’s greatest assets and a key part of its active transportation network. Previously, park and trail signs were developed on an ad-needed basis, often resulting in cluttered environments and inconsistent, poorly maintained signage.

Old mismatched cluttered wayfinding signs

The growing pressure on parklands, driven by increases in population and a renewed interest in the environment and healthy lifestyles, supported the case for a wayfinding strategy. To begin, established the system’s core principles and design direction, informed by extensive consultation and community outreach including pop-up events in parks.

Public consultation event under a tent hosted by Steer for Toronto's parks and trails wayfinding project

Public feedback from consultation on Toronto's parks and trails wayfinding system, designed by Steer

Following detailed design development, a pilot was installed the Lower Don Trail and Riverdale Park to test the suitability of the proposed solution in context.

Politicians making speeches at the opening of Toronto's park wayfinding system designed by Steer

Person using a Toronto trail wayfinding sign and map designed by Steer

Based upon lessons learned from the pilot, we refined the signage products, graphics and construction to ensure that the system is durable, flexible and viable in the long term.

The system consists of 17 sign types divided into two families: green signs inform users about parks and facilities, and support navigation and promote exploration. Orange signs support walking and cycling in, along and out of multi-use trails.

Line-up of signs designed by Steer for Toronto's parks and trails wayfinding system

Each sign type follows a consistent information hierarchy and graphic design to create a familiar look and a predictable wayfinding experience. Signs are constructed from a standard kit of interchangeable panels and anodized aluminium frames, simplifying the fabrication and installation process.

Exploded view showing the components of a sign designed by Steer for Toronto's parks and trails wayfinding system

Richly illustrated maps with content and scale variations to suit the needs of parks and trails users are at the core of the wayfinding system.

The maps share the same base as the Steer’s Toronto TO360 pedestrian wayfinding system, supporting friction-free transitions between parkland and urban environments through the use of a shared iconography and a consistent graphic language.

Park map and wayfinding sign designed by Steer for Toronto's parks and trails wayfinding system

As part of the preparation for a city-wide rollout, we developed in-depth guidelines to codify standards for selecting, locating, and artworking the signs, as well as a governance structure and implementation strategy to deliver a decades-long implementation expected to include thousands of signs.