The West Village District in Oklahoma City is adjacent to Downtown but due to a lack of pleasant walkable connections downtown visitors were not patronizing the district. This, coupled with confusion related to a recent name change, was holding back the district’s success. Yard was brought in to address confusion related to the new brand while also addressing connectivity issues through urban design and placemaking. The result was a strategic plan that re-oriented the district’s event energy around building better connections and recruiting more creative office tenants, as well as the creation of a new First 16 Feet fund to improve the walkability of the district.

PROBLEM: How can a new district name and brand be activated through placemaking and programming? 

SOLUTION: A refreshed brand architecture that is intentionally activated through urban design and a new story.

ACTION: Embrace the creative office sector as a core user and shift events, placemaking and storytelling strategies to promote that identity.