massdevelopment springfield

Often called “the crossroads of New England,” Springfield is a post-industrial city located in western Massachusetts that is being reimagined. The opening of Union Station, the Dr. Seuss Museum, and the MGM Casino will bring new visitors to the city. But with a disconnected Downtown district, how will they find where to go once they’ve arrived?

Creating a more welcoming Springfield is the mission of Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities Transformative Development Initiative (TDI). Partnering with architecture and planning firm Utile, MassDevelopment, and the City of Springfield, we developed a placemaking toolkit that included wayfinding, murals, and signage-wayfinding to help direct visitors to the entertainment and innovation district around Stearns Square. Leveraging the “crossroads” concept, inspiration from locals Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) and Milton Bradley, and artwork created with code, we developed a visual system that represents the vibrancy of the city’s transformation.