Class: Multidisciplinary Prototyping
Term: Spring 2017
Team Member(s): Kira Novak, Apoorva Shenoy, Madison Loew
Context
Despite its unique assets and rich history, Wabash Ave. is an underwhelming street in terms of its pedestrian experience. Working with the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA), Gensler Chicago, and several other city organizations, my class at the Institute of Design was tasked with helping to re-imagine the future of Wabash.
Assigned to the transportation team, my group was given the following statement to work off of: The DNA of Wabash is built on the L. Considering this viewpoint along with the fact that new forms of transportation in and around the Loop District have gained widespread acceptance, how might we take advantage of these changes to help redefine the Wabash experience and enable its identity as a destination?
Project
Drawing upon our insights from interviews and observations of people on the street, we found that Wabash Ave. could build upon users’ existing behaviors, like their use of multimodal transit, to create a new transportation experience. We proposed three ideas - The Queue, Wayfinding Signage, and Primers - which, when used in conjunction, activate Wabash’s currently static parking lanes and create a more compelling experience that allows for increased movement on the street.
The Queue
By Eliminating one lane of parking and adding two ride-sharing pick-up/drop-off zones, Chicago Loop Alliance will equip Super Sharers with the ability to seamlessly access their favorite Loop destinations, while also increasing foot traffic on the street.
Wayfinding Signage
Introducing signage that indicates distances to nearby destinations using conversational language and user-friendly metrics (i.e. 3 blocks to to Art Institute), Wabash Ave. and the surrounding streets will become more navigable and pedestrian-led.
Primers
To better benefit from Wabash's proximity to cultural institutions, Chicago Loop Alliance can leverage existing infrastructure that is otherwise largely neglected and create experiences that prime pedestrians for nearby exhibits by connecting nearby cultural institutions with local artists to create beautiful painted scenes right on the L support columns.
