Portland Bureau of Transportation: NW Off-Street Shared Parking
PBOT and the NW Portland Business Association coordinated a campaign to increase use of off-street parking lots in one of Portland's busiest districts.​

A Very Local Look and Feel

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) sets aside parking meter revenue to improve parking and transportation infrastructure in most neighborhoods with metered parking. One such neighborhood is NW Portland, a bustling business, shopping, and dining destination that draws visitors from throughout the city and region.

PBOT’s NW Stakeholder Advisory Committee (NW SAC) made resources available for a campaign, coordinated in partnership with the NW Portland Business Association (NWPBA), to guide visitors toward the district’s 11 public off-street parking lots. The end goal? Reducing parking and traffic congestion while boosting overall visitorship in the district.

Parachute Strategies was brought on board to provide design services for the campaign, which would be administered by the NWBA via its members and constituents. With the NWBA serving as the face of the effort, it was decided that the look and feel for the campaign would be inspired by and aligned with their visual brand.

Temporary a-board signs let motorists know they've reached a public parking lot.
One of three suites of signs that comprised the final, permanent sign package.

A District-Specific Public Parking Sign Package

Effective, permanent, signage was pivotal to ensuring the success of this project. We threw ourselves into the effort by:

  • Scouting lots for existing and potential sign opportunities
  • Concentrating lot rules and regulations into a single, concise set of universal terms
  • Studying the routes drivers would use to approach lots to determine where right-of-way signs should appear
  • Coordinating with the City on matters of zoning and layout standards

The resulting, permanent sign package was approved by the city engineer for use in NW Portland and implemented throughout the district.

Public Parking Education

Digital Materials

Parachute Strategies developed a WordPress-based landing page with resources for prospective NW Portland parkers. It features a custom-built Google map of visitor lots and other transportation amenities in the NW Parking District. It also shares important parking intel, such as how to use Parking Kitty, engage with the NW SAC, and more.

A second, “secret” page of the website caters specifically to local business owners. It provides a set of digital assets they can use to spread the word about off-street parking with their customers and staff.

A concise website spoon-feeds visitors the information they need to find off-street parking in NW Portland.
Chipboard coasters with off-street parking information were dispersed among area bars and restaurants.

Print Collateral

In addition to signs, we also designed an array of print pieces for members of the NWBA to distribute among their customers. Included in the mix were:

  • Self-standing banners for NWBA meetings and events
  • Direct mail postcards
  • Trifold brochures
  • Chipboard coasters
  • Newspaper advertisements