Easthampton seeks public input to help shape future of city

The survey is focused on this study area as the city seeks community feedback with the goal of creating a cohesive signage system for its downtown districts.
Photo credit: City of Easthampton, Easthampton Planning Department

EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton is encouraging residents, business owners and visitors to participate in a new community survey that will help shape the future of downtown navigation, signage and overall visitor experience.

The survey is part of Phase II of the city’s Downtown Wayfinding Plan, an initiative supported by a Massachusetts Downtown Initiative grant, and building on earlier community branding and wayfinding efforts.

Working with transportation planners from Stantec on the project, the city’s goal is to create a clear, cohesive system of signage that will improve how people move through and experience Easthampton’s downtown districts, according to the city.

“Wayfinding is about more than just signs — it’s about creating a welcoming, accessible and easy-to-navigate city for everyone,” said Mayor Salem Derby. “We want to hear from the community about what’s working, what’s not, and what improvements would make the biggest impact.”

The city is putting out this survey with the belief that community feedback is a critical component of the planning process. Responses from the survey will help identify key destinations, highlight navigation challenges, and inform the development of future wayfinding elements such as district naming, directional signs and informational signs.

The survey is now open and can be found at http://tinyurl.com/EasthamptonWayfinding2026. Community members are encouraged to share through the survey their experiences traveling through Easthampton, including how they find local businesses, parks, cultural destinations and parking. Responses will be collected through Sunday, April 12.

Easthampton Planning Director Allyson Manuel told Reminder Publishing that the city’s initial efforts from the Downtown Wayfinding Plan resulted in mostly design, and now this next phase will focus on ways to establish a cohesive system of signage to help people better navigate the downtown districts.

“They did the 2020 effort, which resulted in mostly design. It didn’t really have any plans for where signage should go and the specific details on the signs, so this next phase is taking up that part of the process. Looking at what we have for signage, and then determining how to fill the gaps and make it so that it’s easier for people to navigate throughout downtown,” said Manuel. “Whether it’s looking for a specific store or venue, or just parking. Even public parking, I know in some cases can be challenging for people to find, so we’re hoping to address all of that and also incorporate a cohesive design, so it looks nice.”

Manuel said that the survey includes a study area that people can use as a reference.

“It goes from the Mills on Pleasant and Ferry streets, to the roundabout where Main, Pleasant and Union Street meet, up Union, and then all the way down Cottage Street. So, it’s really anywhere that you would think of as downtown,” said Manuel. “We’ve gotten feedback, particularly from out-of-town people, that it can be confusing to navigate from Cottage Street to the mills, and there are often things happening in both places at the same time, and they want to get to both but they don’t necessarily understand how to get there, so I think solving that problem is definitely a goal.”

A public presentation of the Phase II Wayfinding Plan is expected in late spring at a future date to be announced. For more information, visit www.easthamptonma.gov/432/Downtown-Wayfinding or contact Planning Director Manuel via email at amanuel@easthamptonma.gov.