Community Wayfinding: Building Identity, Connectivity, and Economic Vitality

An Innovative Cities Lecture

Community wayfinding systems do much more than direct people from one destination to another—they shape how residents and visitors experience a place. This lecture explores the planning, design, and implementation of community wayfinding programs, beginning with downtown business districts and expanding to neighborhoods, parks, regional trail systems, and community gateways.

Learn about the newly developed Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Community Wayfinding Toolkit, demonstrating how communities of all sizes can create coordinated wayfinding systems that enhance economic development, visitor experiences, and local pride.

Showcasing examples from Wisconsin cities, presenters will share how wayfinding supports tourism, strengthens community identity, and reinforces branding through coordinated logo and graphic design. Speakers will share the process of developing a successful wayfinding program, including stakeholder committees, public engagement, funding strategies, sign hierarchy, walkable maps, messaging, GIS mapping, and long-term maintenance responsibilities. The process and outcomes highlight the importance of designing wayfinding systems at multiple scales, from pedestrian-oriented downtown signage to regional trail networks connected to county recreation systems.

Biographies

Colleen Burke is the Economic Development Specialist for Sun Prairie. She began her career with the City of Sun Prairie in 2017 as the Downtown Business Improvement District and Tourism Manager and moved into the Economic Development Specialist role in 2024. She leads the department’s marketing, small business support, placemaking, tourism initiatives, and supports BRE efforts. Colleen is committed to promoting all of the amazing qualities Sun Prairie has to offer to the community, visitors, and businesses.

Prior to her time with the City of Sun Prairie, Colleen spent much of her career at Oscar Mayer/Kraft Heinz as a Marketing Activation Manager developing base product initiatives and new product launches, contests, sweepstakes, and promotions, and traditional couponing activities supporting Oscar Mayer Cold Cuts, Hot Dogs, Bacon, Lunchables, and Claussen businesses; and as a Special Events Manager at Madison Children’s Museum supporting the organization’s fundraising and development efforts.

David Salmon is the Transportation Coordinator for the City of Sun Prairie. In his role, David is the Traffic Safety Lead, Bike Ped Coordinator, Public Transit Coordinator, and serves in a principal transportation planning role. David serves as the Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals – Wisconsin Chapter Leader, the American Planning Association – Wisconsin Chapter Transportation Planning Division Co-Liason, and serves on the Board of Directors for 1k Friends of Wisconsin.

Cameryn Ehlers-Kwaterski attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majored in Political Science & International Studies. Following graduation, she spent three years teaching Middle School Math through the Teach for America program in Marion, South Carolina. In 2018, her career pivoted into tourism, and she became the first Executive Director of Visit Rome, WI.

Since 2021, she has worked with Destination Sturgeon Bay and has since been the Executive Director. Destination Sturgeon Bay assists visitors, promotes the area, supports 250+ local businesses, and fosters the community’s growth. A Sturgeon Bay native, Cameryn is right at home promoting a destination near and dear to her heart.

Cameryn spends her free time enjoying all that Sturgeon Bay has to offer with husband, Nick, and two daughters, Lucy and Margaret.

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