Downtown Chicopee's new signage program had three primary goals: 1. Visually transform the area; 2. Encourage both drivers and pedestrians to explore; 3. Highlight landmarks and public parking areas.

Gold flags wrap and transform the existing light posts, displaying large wayfinding information on the front side and pedestrian-focused information on the rounded side facing the sidewalk. The backs of each sign indicate which urban trail a user is located along: History, Retail, Recreational, or all three. White flags indicate public parking areas. Monumentally-scaled gold pylons act as gateways to The Center.

As part of our ongoing work with MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, OverUnder worked with the City of Chicopee to reconfigure the image of its downtown. This effort included a sustained public engagement process (both before and during the pandemic), graphic identity, signage/wayfinding, and placemaking. In this capacity, we have designed a new logo, banners, and signage; created a series of walking trails through the downtown (and a web app to help navigate them); designed temporary socially-distanced public spaces; and created storefront design guidelines for business owners.

View the branding effort.
View the urban design visioning effort.