Information and Legibility Planning
At the heart of the project is an easy-to-understand system designed to provide a constant flow of information through the city centre, linking diverse neighbourhoods helping people to make the most of Bristol’s many attractions, welcoming tourists and encouraging a shift towards public transport.

The city exists for many audiences, each person has a special individual origin and destination and needs a specific travel map to reach it.

Legible City seeks to provide a common, recognisable language for the provision of wayfinding information where it is needed and in the most useful form.

Clear, distinctive, recognisable information available at the start of a journey, guidance and support which the journey what the means or change of means and locational information on arrival is the basis for a secure, comfortable journey.

The basic information system, signs, maps, icons and components need to be developed to a standard where they conform to the highest measure of visual clarity, simplicity and universal recognition. Legible city has been developed and tested to achieve this standard and where sight impairment presents difficulties is seeking to develop audio signs to fulfil its goal of openness and accessibility to all.

Legible city intends to develop a consistent language of information for the user to integrate all transport mediums, cycling, walking, public transport, buses, cars, trains and trams all in the public realm and make the interfaces simple and co-ordinated. Its goal is to reduce the apprehension and concern in taking journeys and give confidence to the traveller.

The use of electronic, immediate, accurate information systems is transforming wayfinding. Direct access to the bus timetables, individual journey planning, and links with real time rail information gives the user further potential to journey in confidence.

As well as seeking to provide a clear, baseline information system, legible city seeks to build up accessibility to real time electronic information readily available in the street and quick and efficient to access and interrogate.

The new range of i- plus units by Cityspace is unique to Bristol and their capability and capacity to inform is growing. Integrated with bus time tabling, train schedules and journey information they begin to provide the detail of planning now required by a better informed user.

Information and legibility need an integrated recognisable framework for public confidence Bristol is providing that framework and is now working to extend the range of components outside of the central area so that the whole city can each neighbourhood can develop its own information and identity but within a know and trusted context.