Walkit Leeds

Leeds City Council

Walk It Leeds is a pedestrian wayfinding system being implemented across Leeds City Centre to assist people to navigate the shopping, business and cultural districts on foot.

At the time of inception there were over a 1,000 shops with a local catchment of 3.2 million people and an estimated 420,000 people working in Leeds the city centre giving over 35 million visitors per year meaning that at peak times there can be a footfall around the central shopping streets of 40,000.

The scheme was developed to pre-empt an increase in these numbers predicted to happen in response to the major city centre retail developments of Trinity Leeds by Land Securities (now open, the proposed Eastgate Quarters by Hammerson and the opening of the new Leeds Arena in 2013.

Prior to the introduction of the scheme there were more than 10 competing or conflicting on street systems being used across the city centre; many of which have now been removed as part of a parallel de-cluttering programme.

Otherwise known as Legible Leeds, the on street signing system was developed for Leeds City Council by Lacock Gullam with mapping and information design by AIG.

The mapping components are illuminated during the evening with solar generated power collected by the sign; thought to be the first wayfinding system implemented in the UK to achieve this.

The signs designed by Lacock Gullam use robust durable materials and are detailed to provide ease of maintenance and updating. They also utilise the innovative foundation detail developed by Lacock Gullam for use with city wayfinding systems.

The full scheme, once implemented, is planned to provide over 140 wayfinding points of contact.