Fix Public Spaces 1: Make it Instagrammable

Give 'em what they want!

This is the first in a series of common sense solutions for building great public spaces.

Love it or hate it, expect to see more cities put up a sign like the one above.

Why? Because we live in an age of social media. And people want Instagrammable moments!

What better way to tell the world about your exotic travels than by standing in front of a two-metre tall three-dimensional sign of the city name.

It all started in Amsterdam, back in 2004. In fact, the original I amsterdam sign was so popular that they had to take it down. There is now a sign at the airport and another one that gets moved around the city. Amsterdam has found it a smart way to get tourists into some of the less known neighbourhoods.

Slowly popping up across the country

These signs are slowly showing up in Canada. We’re actually surprised there aren’t more of them.

There is this one.

And this one.

And this.

Plus this one.

And the latest to appear on the scene.

Love it or hate it

Whatever you might think of these signs, people love them! They are a big draw for social media posts and therefore a very smart investment for promoting tourism.

Social media is how more and more of us communicate with the world. If you’re a municipal official and want to raise your city’s profile, install one of these — or something else that will make people look good on Instagram. Even individual neighbourhoods are putting them up.

Did we miss any?

Are there other of these signs in Canada? Or any new ones that are coming soon?