Browsing by Author "Ritten, Sarah"

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    Barriers to Wayfinding in Downtown Saint Paul: An Evaluation
    (Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2021) Ritten, Sarah; Wu, Emma
    This project was completed as part of a partnership between CapitolRiver District Council and the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (http://www.rcp.umn.edu). The goal of this project was to evaluate wayfinding in Downtown Saint Paul and how it can be enhanced to contribute to vibrant and connected communities, activated streetscapes, and economic recovery. CapitolRiver District Council project lead Jon Fure collaborated with students in Professor Emily Kalnicky’s course, PA 8081: Program Evaluation Capstone, to conduct an evaluation that included surveys of business owners and residents, interviews with business owners, a review of literature, and a code comparison. A final student report and presentation are available. A videorecording of the students' final presentation is also available at https://vimeo.com/549433552.
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    Barriers to Wayfinding in Downtown St. Paul: An Evaluation
    (2021-05) Ritten, Sarah; Wu, Emma
    As the capital of Minnesota, St. Paul is known for its host of award-winning restaurants, the Mississippi riverfront, and large entertainment venues. Although the downtown area is easily walkable, our client, the Capitol River Council (CRC), has heard from residents, visitors, cultural institutions, and businesses alike that people sometimes struggle to figure out their way through the skyways or streets and that zoning requirements that prevent exterior signage may make parts of downtown seem confusing and desolate. This evaluation sought to understand the barriers to wayfinding present in downtown St. Paul so the CRC can better advocate for improvements to the system. These questions were answered through a variety of research methodologies, including surveys, interviews, a review of literature, and a code comparison. The business owner survey yielded 68 responses with 5 follow-up interviews, and the residents and visitors survey had 320 responses. While the original intent was to receive a higher response rate, we believe that the patterns found throughout the various methodologies point towards common barriers, though additional research is needed to verify these findings.
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    CapitolRiver District Council: Wayfinding Program Evaluation Plan
    (Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2020) Friedman, Sarah; Stekr, Delaney; Cofer, Kobey; Ritten, Sarah
    This project was completed as part of a partnership between CapitolRiver District Council and the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (http://www.rcp.umn.edu). The goal of this project was to identify how wayfinding in Downtown Saint Paul can be enhanced to contribute to vibrant and connected communities, activated streetscapes, and economic resilience. CapitolRiver District Council project lead Jon Fure collaborated with students in Professor Emily Kalnicky’s course, PA 5311: Program Evaluation, to create an evaluation plan that assesses how City of St. Paul zoning codes and ordinances impact the current wayfinding system, and identifies legislative opportunities CRC could advocate for to improve wayfinding. A final student report and presentation are available. A videorecording of the students' final presentation is also available at https://vimeo.com/493483306.