For the first time, the International Sign Association has brought training on the importance of signage to a national audience that directly influences sign codes. ISA recently conducted educational training at the American Planning Association’s 2014 National Planning Conference.
The session, entitled “Effective Urban Wayfinding,” was presented by James Carpentier, ISA’s manager of state and local government affairs; William Vaught, Sky Design; Sachin S. Kalbag, Miami Downtown Development Authority; and Craig Berger, Fashion Institute of Technology. In addition to the educational offering, ISA shared resources with planners from around the country in the exhibit hall.
“Planners have a tremendous impact on the work that sign companies do each day,” said Lori Anderson, ISA president and CEO. “We have worked hard to build bridges with planners and local officials, sharing resources and helping them better understand the role that signs play in their community’s overall well-being.”
While this marks the first time that ISA has ever presented at the national APA meeting, ISA has been training planners around the country since 2011 with its “Planning for Sign Code Success” seminars and various webinars during which planners can earn continuing education credits. Planners often have asked ISA for resources on urban wayfinding, which led to the creation of the “Urban Wayfinding Manual,” published by the Signage Foundation, Inc., and an accompanying webinar series that ran last year.
“In the last few years, we’ve trained well over 1,000 planners on sign code issues,” said David Hickey, ISA’s vice president of government affairs. “We also work with hundreds of planners each year on our ‘rapid-response’ trips to help communities develop reasonable sign codes. All of this has a direct impact on the sign industry and on creating stronger communities.”
ISA has scheduled at least six “Planning for Sign Code Success” sessions for the remainder of 2014 in cities such as Houston, New Orleans, San Diego, and Hartford (CT). Remaining locations will be named at a later date.
