A directional sign in Hangzhou features a unified, clear and international design. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

The urban management authority of Hangzhou recently released guidelines on the unified, clear and internationalized design of directional signs for the city's pedestrian underpasses to ease travel for locals and tourists.

Getting lost in underpasses has been a common experience shared by many people, partly due to inconsistent design and incomplete information in the underpass directional systems.

To improve the management of urban infrastructure, the city's urban management authority has standardized the directional signs in the underpasses to enhance their navigational efficiency. The signs now feature a crisp color scheme primarily in brown and white, with clear directional guidance provided in both Chinese and English.

It will also standardize the locations, sizes, fonts, and colors of the signs to ensure that the signage in each underpass follows uniform standards.

The guidelines apply to all existing and new pedestrian underpasses within the Hangzhou urban area. Existing underpasses will gradually replace their directional systems through facility updates, while new underpasses will directly apply the new design standards during construction.

A directional sign in Hangzhou features a unified, clear and international design. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]