City of Morgan Hill Morgan Hill, CA
Camino a Jugar, or Path to Play, was a project implemented by the City of Morgan Hill, CA to enhance and revitalize their downtown. By creating playful and artistic crosswalks, as well as a pedestrian-friendly wayfinding signage program, the city is using this project as a way to continue its redevelopment efforts and enhance the pedestrian experience downtown.
A lot of thought was put into the actual designs of the crosswalks; they embrace and highlight what makes the city unique, such as the community's culture and proximity to wildlife. The wayfinding signage program was designed by youth from the community, and allows visitors to find their around the downtown in a much friendlier and more playful way.
Edith Ramirez, the city's economic development manager, explains that one of the main focuses of the city right now is making the downtown area as family-friendly as possible. In 2014, the city approved a downtown placemaking strategy as a way to make the space more interesting for residents, as well as to attract the younger generations to the downtown area. She says, "This grant was very much in line with everything we’ve been working towards. It's the next step in the ladder of everything else that we’ve been doing in our community."
The installation of the playful crosswalks and signage program will continue to impact approximately 3,450 kids as they make their way around Morgan Hill. The city plans to continue redeveloping and revitalizing with kids and families and mind.
"I feel like we're only at the beginning of this transformation, and we get to force ourselves to be more creative each time," said Ramirez.
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