A community-driven design initiative enhancing tourism in Jamaica Plain through a strategic signage system.

Many cities have neighborhoods full of character, history, and local business ecosystems that remain under-visited, not because they lack value, but lack visibility. Our project focuses on uncovering this missed potential by turning well-known destinations, known as "big attractors," into gateways for deeper neighborhood exploration. We decided to focus on the beautiful, quirky Jamaica Plain.

The system is two-fold: At big attractors, street-level totems provide simple, map-based recommendations for nearby places to visit—inviting visitors to extend their stay beyond the obvious. Inside local businesses, we created informal displays where owners share their favorite nearby spots, bringing everyday word-of-mouth to the surface.

We began with on-the-ground research, selecting a mix of local businesses based on their longevity and neighborhood presence, then conducting field interviews with staff at each one. Through these conversations, we quickly learned that the issue wasn’t a lack of great places or accessible transit—it was a lack of visibility.

First, we found that businesses were highly aware of the big attractors that drove foot traffic into the area, most often naming the Arnold Arboretum and Jamaica Pond as popular destinations for local visitors.

Second, as we wrapped each interview by asking, “Who else should we talk to?” we uncovered a vibrant, informal recommendation network. Business owners eagerly pointed us to others they admired and all places we hadn’t identified in our initial research. This revealed a strong, symbiotic ecosystem already in place—one defined by personal connection, mutual support, and local pride.

These totems display simple, intuitive maps highlighting nearby local businesses and the short distances between them—creating a visible chain of destinations that encourages continued exploration. Supplied by JCDecaux, the same company that provides Boston’s bus stops and public maps in exchange for advertising space, the totems require no additional cost to the city. This partnership keeps the intervention grounded in existing infrastructure while seamlessly guiding visitors from major attractions toward the everyday texture of the neighborhood.

Through previous research and our conversations with the business owners, we knew that Centre Street and Hyde Square were the hot spots in the city due to a high density of retailers, restaurants, and community organizations. However, while these areas see high activity, they aren't nearly as popular or known as Back Bay, Harvard Square, or Coolidge Corner.

Revealed in our research, the big attractors of Jamaica Plain are the biggest contributors to tourist traffic throughout the year, featuring big names and destinations.

Through previous research and our conversations with the business owners, we knew that Centre Street and Hyde Square were the areas with the most traffic in the city due to retailers and restaurants.

All together, the strategic placing of the sign totems would capture the attention of the most amount of visitors and draw them to commercial areas of the city that they might not have known about before visiting the big attractor they initially came for.

Using the research we did on compiling the most beloved local businesses in the area, we created a series of proximity maps (based on the starting point of the Arnold Arboretum) to showcase what someone would see when they approached a totem.

Another critical finding we had was that after talking with the first business, we were quickly led to talk to more businesses that we were unaware of during our initial research. There was an obvious snowballing effect between businesses that showed that not only was there a myriad of businesses in JP, but they were keen on supporting and directing customers to each other like a symbiotic network.

When a visitor steps into a local shop or café, they’ll often ask: “Where else should I go nearby?” From our interviews, we know that business owners already have those answers—and often, strong opinions. Our system brings that knowledge to the surface by making it visible within the store itself, through magnet boards that list nearby favorite spots as magnets. It reduces the friction of asking, invites curiosity, and strengthens the internal network of JP’s business community.

Scannable QR codes on the totems and magnet boards offer app integration with Quest Boston, an AI-driven tourism app designed to give personalized recommendations based on user behavior and preferences. QR scans also offer free, trackable data to the app by telling them which totems or store magnets are getting the most scans.

Alongside an app called MacWhisper, my project partner and I utilized AI to help us transcribe and interpret our interview transcripts faster and more effectively. While we remembered the key pieces of information from our conversations, it was important to know we were not leaving anything out; ChatGPT helped us stay on target.