Ohio & Erie Canalway Overview

  • Ohio & Erie Canalway Overview

  • Designated a National Heritage Area in the US.

  • Purpose: Preserves and shares America's heritage, offering opportunities for trails, trains, scenic byways, cultural exploration, and natural resources.

  • Annual Visitors: Over 2.52.5 million explore the 8686-mile Towpath Trail.

  • Key Goals:

    • Name and brand the region effectively.

    • Develop comprehensive wayfinding, orientation, and interpretive systems.

    • Share rich interpretive stories and exhibits.

    • Attract local and regional investment and foster growth.

    • Raise regional and national awareness.

  • Process & Strategy:

    • Aimed to transform industrial areas into cultural and recreational spaces.

    • Initiated in 20012001 by 4848 communities to create a heritage management plan.

    • Cloud Gehshan (CG) was retained for branding, marketing, wayfinding signage, and interpretive display system design.

    • Renaming the 110110-mile Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor was a priority.

  • Creative Solution:

    • Name "Ohio & Erie Canalway" chosen for its brevity, conciseness, and implication of a larger idea/passageway.

    • CG designed an authentic visual identity and user-friendly wayfinding/signage.

    • Partnered with Dommert Phillips for an interpretive plan.

    • A comprehensive guidelines manual established standards for branding and signage.

  • Results:

    • Increased visitor numbers enjoying tours, trails, and cultural venues.

    • The vision of the Canalway Association is progressing.

    • Region is being positioned as a vital place to live, work, and visit, entering its second phase of development and investment.