September 2024–Present
134 Washington Street, Somerville, MA
The East Somerville MBTA station was a welcome public transit connection for the neighborhood when it opened in 2022. However, the station is only connected to Washington Street by a long barren walkway and is a 15-minute walk to the neighborhood center.
Together with East Somerville Main Streets, we used creative placemaking to turn the dreary and barren area under the Washington Street bridge into a bright and connected walkway. We also added in wayfinding and created a roadmap for future investments.
Design
Fence and ground mural
Inspired by train line maps, we designed a multi-colored fence weave installation that continued onto the ground as a mural. Using overlapping lines, the mural encourages creative movement and subtly points visitors towards East Somerville.
Landmark signage
To educate people about the station’s namesake—East Somerville—we created a series of aluminum signs that highlight 8 unique landmarks in the area. We included signs in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole to represent the diverse neighborhood.
Wayfinding
To help orient people as they left the T station, we created a map that shows the surrounding areas and the recommended paths to East Somerville’s business corridors. We added wayfinding signs along Franklin Street leading pedestrians to Broadway.
Partners
