Wayfinding and branding committee established

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham’s wayfinding and branding committee will no longer be considered “ad hoc” after city commissioners voted to establish a permanent committee during their Monday, January 22, meeting.

In a memorandum included in the meeting packet, planning director Nick Dupuis stated that an ad hoc wayfinding and gateways signage committee was established in 2022 after being presented as a concept the year prior. It started as a function of the Birmingham Shopping District (BSD).

“We on the staff side have enjoyed this committee. Over the last two years we’ve done some relatively consequential projects, the two most visible being the city logo and the work we did towards that and the city wayfinding and signage plan. The concepts were adopted by the city commission just recently in December,” Dupuis said.

According to Dupuis, the intention is for the board to act as a clearing house for all things signage and branding in Birmingham.

While the current board is composed of 12 members, the permanent board will be nine members total – six city staff members and three non-staff members, each serving a two-year term. The staff members on the board come from a range of departments, including public services, communications, planning and parking systems.

In a memorandum provided in the meeting packet, Dupuis wrote that the positions for the board were based on institutional knowledge, expertise and relationships to wayfinding and branding projects in the city.

Dupuis noted that the permanent committee will only meet on an as-needed basis based on projects the city is undertaking at the time.

The commission voted unanimously, 6-0, to establish the permanent committee. Clinton Baller was absent from the meeting.