NYC Facilitates Walking with New Wayfinding Maps

One out of ten New Yorkers gets lost every week, according to the city's Department of Transportation, and this does not include out-of-towners. In March, the city will begin installing 150 wayfinding signs to help pedestrians navigate their way.

2 minute read

January 15, 2013, 8:00 AM PST

By Jessica Hsu


“Whether you’re a life-long New Yorker or a first-time visitor, everyone knows the feeling of walking out of a building or a subways station and being turned around, not knowing where you are,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, Transportation Commissioner. “These maps will help everyone in the city get around.” The signs will be located at high-traffic pedestrian locations in Midtown, Chinatown, Long Island City and Prospect Heights and Western Crown Heights. A sample shows that they will include major landmarks, local businesses, and estimated transit times within a 5-minute proximity. What's innovative is that these new maps will be laser printed directly on glass, adds Matt Chaban, and they will be formatted in "'heads-up mapping,' meaning that they are oriented the way a person is looking."

The winning bid for the project comes from PentaCity, a group made up of graphic design studio Pentagram, map makers City ID and industrial designers Billings Jackson. Pentagram has collaborated with the city on other recent projects including the the LOOK safety campaign and new parking signs.

The $6 million project was funded largely by the federal Department of Transportation, and most of the rest from local business improvement districts (BIDs). Many BIDs already have their own signs, says Chaban, but "[t]he goal was to unify all the wayfinding signage, including a new font called Helvetica DOT that Pentagram designed special for the department, a throwback to the same font gracing the subways." The city believes that the signs will help people learn the city better, and Sadik-Khan said, "That's good for business, that's good for communities, that's good for everybody. People will start to mix it up, exploring new neighborhoods and even new blocks in their old neighborhoods."

Monday, January 14, 2013 in The New York Observer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA