With 2.2m people in an area of 2,800 sq km, the MetroVancouver region is the fastest growing and changing region of Canada. The population is expected to rise by a third in the next two decades. Vancouver is a popular tourist destination, with 7.7m overnight stays each year, and there will be an additional influx with the 2010 Winter Olympics. These are significant challenges for the urban and transport planners, at a time when sustainability and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions are priority objectives of the provincial government of British Columbia.

Part of the answer lies in infrastructure: extending the light railway network including the new Canada Line opening in 2009; expanding the capacity and frequency of the bus network; major highway and bridge construction projects and development of cycle greenways. But to achieve a sustainable outcome, behaviours must also modify significantly and in this, better information about transport options and connections has a big part to play.

Applied Information Group was hired by TransLink, the regional transportation authority, to devise a wayfinding strategy covering all modes: car, rail, ferry, bus, cycling and walking. Based on the strategy, AIG along with Lacock Gullam has delivered initial transit components including network identity, trip planning and bus information prototypes for the opening of the Canada Line light rail system and 2010 Winter Olympics. AIG is now completing a first version of a standard for wayfinding to underpin a 10 year implementation programme by TransLink. Creative development is led by the graphic and product design teams in London, with planning and delivery coordinated by AIG’s North America office.