Creating a Downtown Directory Map
The Stamford Downtown uses Ginkgo to create a strategic Downtown Directory Map.
We’ve all needed a directory map at one point or another. Maybe we were late for a flight and needed to figure out the fastest way through the airport. Maybe it was at the mall and we needed to know where to go to get to the food court.
Directory maps help us visualize the size and layout of indoor spaces, as well as where things like stairs, elevators and restrooms are located. This type of map is often available when you visit a large facility or campus that’s owned by a single entity.
If maps like these are so helpful, why don’t we typically find them around our favorite downtowns and neighborhoods? Typically where there is a single owner, like a shopping mall or an airport, the owner has all the schematics and floor plans available to create a highly detailed map of their property. Typical downtowns and neighborhoods on the other hand are a mix of many different building owners — floor plans are not always accessible, let alone in a format ready to work with digitally.
A good healthy diversity of ownership is a great thing to have in a downtown. It helps shape our favorite neighborhoods into such interesting and authentic places. However, it also makes gathering information about buildings and facilities a serious challenge. When floor plans and information are fragmented among several different owners and entities — some government, some private individuals and corporations — the only way to move forward is to request these documents from everyone. In short, collecting building floor plans from hundreds of different organizations and people and assembling them all in a useful digital format presents a big obstacle to creating an accurate map of indoor spaces. In fact, it’s a challenge that can only be really overcome when all of the different building owners trust you enough to share their floor plans and information.
That’s exactly what’s happening right now in Stamford, Connecticut through the leadership of the Stamford Downtown Special Services District (Stamford Downtown). Stamford Downtown is using Ginkgo to create a first of its kind Downtown Directory Map. So far, the map includes approximated floor plans for spaces like a ground floor commercial unit, as well as uses, such as “Library” or “Restaurant”. In addition, Stamford Downtown will be able to overlay their current directory of active businesses and events on this map to show current activities around the downtown.
Initially the plan is to use this internally for strategic planning purposes. If successful, we may also see a public version available digitally and on signs around the downtown in the future. Due to the complexity of this project, the team at Stamford Downtown started with one of the most diverse and historic retail streets in the neighborhood to test the concept. Ginkgo is excited to work with Stamford Downtown and provide tools that make gathering all the necessary information and mapping it easier and more collaborative for the community.
