Long Island City is booming, but its streets can be confusing. Now the LIC Partnership and several local tech startups have launched a cutting-edge wayfinding tool known
as LIC Local. Courtesy of Hunters Point Parks Conservancy
Long Island City Partnership launches online
wayfi nding tool to navigate the neighborhood
BY BILL PARRY
It is easy to get lost or confused
while navigating the
streets of the nation’s fastest
growing neighborhood, but now
the Long Island City Partnership
is launching LIC Local, a
new free mobile site and smart
signage campaign that uses QRCode
technology as a wayfinding
tool.
One hundred “smart signs”
designed by Entro and fabricated
by Boyce Technologies,
have been deployed at strategic
locations throughout the neighborhood
which connect to the
wayfinding web app.
“Long Island City has the
best of the city, from world
class museums and parks to
Michelin star restaurants and a
diverse mix of local businesses,
and yet these cherished spots
are also some of our best kept
secrets,” LIC Partnership President
Elizabeth Lusskin said.
“We are excited to help put our
shops, institutions and events
on one map with LIC Local to
make everything our community
has to offer easier to find.
Whether someone is a longtime
resident or it’s their first time
here, there’s so much to do —
gallery openings, live music, indoor
rock climbing, tennis, and
many delicious food and drink
establishments — and LIC Local
will make it easier and more
fun to experience.”
LIC Local pinpoints the
smart signage and all featured
locations using exact geographic
coordinates to help pedestrians
both orient themselves, find
local amenities and events, and
reach their destination. The
web app was developed by LICP
in partnership with local tech
startup Citiesense and design
firm ThoughtMatter.
“Working with the Partnership
to launch this smart sign
pilot has been an exciting exploration
of our platform’s capabilities,”
Citiesense CEO Starling
Childs said. “As we continue to
test out different approaches to
improving access to local information
with the LIC business
community, we will be able to
expand on our platform’s features
to strengthen the value we
are already providing through
this unique tool kit for accessing
local community-based data.”
Using the camera on a
smartphone, one can scan or
code one of the LIC Local signs
around the neighborhood and,
based on the geo-targeted location,
search for events to check
out, find a specific business, or
browse the map of everything
available within walking distance
and learn where special
deals are available to LIC perks
members.
“Today, as we live more and
more of our daily lives online,
communities can capture enormous
value by creating and
designing tools that encourage
people to search local,” Thought-
Matter Managing Director Jessie
McGuire said. “The LIC Local
project was a collaborative
effort from the very beginning.
From a home page that provides
you with different entry points
to the map, to the color coding
of the different categories you
can filter through, Thought-
Matter knew it was important
that the end result was not only
a useful tool to help you explore
the neighborhood, but really to
connect you to everything that
makes Long Island City Long
Island City.”
Initial funding for the project
came from the city’s Department
of Small Business Services
as part of the Neighborhood
Innovation Grant competition
in 2017.
“LIC Local is a great example
of what happens when the
city brings together technology
and local partners to make our
neighborhoods vibrant,” SBS
Commissioner Gregg Bishop
said. “With support from SBS’s
Neighborhood Challenge award,
the LIC Partnership has built
a fantastic tool to boost small
businesses in the area, and
highlight all that Long Island
City has to offer.”
Additional funding came
from City Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer and Queens Borough
President Melinda Katz.
“Long Island City is home
to a wide array of restaurants,
remarkable stores, compelling
events and charming attractions,”
Katz said. “LIC Local
will employ cutting-edge technology
to make it easier for
residents and visitors alike to
find all the great things Long
Island City has to offer. It was
a privilege to help fund the development
of LIC Local, which
will make the richness of Long
Island City more accessible to
all.”
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