Landscape Architect Articles

Mobile App Educates Tennessee Riverpark Visitors11-03-16 | Department

Mobile App Educates
Tennessee Riverpark Visitors
LASN Associate Editor for Technology, Ashley Steffens, Associate Professor, University of Georgia College of Environment and Design

The National Park Service partnered with Hamilton County, Tenn., to fund the mobile app. The landscape architects from Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon worked with NeoTreks and the Chattanooga History Center to create it. Point a smartphone camera and a label pops up with the name and distance to a trail. Touch the label and a trail map and facilities are displayed. This technology should be considered by landscape architects to supplement the static signage for historic facts and wayfinding.

Historically, landscape architects have been engaged in helping clients develop content and graphics for interpretive and wayfinding signage for parks and recreation projects. Until recently this signage has been limited to text, images, maps and graphics on static signage. Recent advances in technology and the widespread use of smart phones provide an opportunity to enhance historic interpretation and wayfinding through interactive web links, videos, and augmented reality. This technology should be considered by landscape architects to supplement static signage in documenting history and wayfinding directions to users.

On August 12, 2016, Hamilton County and the city of Chattanooga, Tenn., cut the ribbon on the new 3.1 mile, $16 million extension of the iconic Tennessee RiverPark (www.hamiltontn.gov/tnriverpark). The new section of the park begins at Blue Goose Hollow Trail Head on the Riverfront at the end of Martin Luther King Blvd., adjacent to the Cameron Harbor Development.

Tennessee RiverPark is the jewel of Hamilton County's parks, running over 10 miles along the Tennessee River to downtown Chattanooga. It responds sensitively to the unparalleled natural beauty that can only be found in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and creates an engaging environment for all ages. Unlike the openness of the first 10 miles, which leads visitors through wetlands and wooded stretches, the newest tract of the Riverwalk traverses a big chunk of the city's industrial heritage. Winding through and around the borders of still active industries, as well as a few that are closed, the new 12-foot wide addition goes where muscle and steel long meshed to produce hard-earned prosperity. The freshly landscaped Riverpark defines an industrial experience on one side, and vibrant green spaces and pavilions, public art and river and mountain views on the other.

The Blue Goose Hollow Trailhead is at the terminus of Martin Luther King Boulevard on the banks of the Tennessee River. The name stems from the cultural history of the site, which was an African American community named Blue Goose Hollow. This community had a strong tie to industry and the factories located next to it. Blues singer Bessie Smith was born in the community.

The app includes historic photos, videos and web links related to the Civil War, Chattanooga's industrial past, sustainable elements, historic events, places and people, and points of interest (POI) within the project corridor. The app's interactive map shows the location of the park visitor. Electronic geo-fences programmed into the app notify users when they are approaching a POI.

Riverpark is one of two Tennessee projects that are part of the U.S. Department of Interior's Great American Outdoors Initiative. The National Park Service was thus an integral part of the design committee. NPS partnered with Hamilton County to fund the development of a mobile application to enhance people's understanding of the rich cultural and industrial history along the Riverpark corridor beyond the interpretive signage. That funding allowed Hamilton County to commission landscape architects at Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc. (BWSC), who teamed with NeoTreks, a geospatial mobile application developer, and the Chattanooga History Center to develop a mobile park application to provide visitors with a greater understanding of the park.

BWSC landscape architects worked with local historians, the NPS and the design committee to assemble the interpretive content and develop graphics for the mobile app. The content was then coordinated with NeoTreks, NPS partnered with Hamilton County to fund the development of a mobile application to enhance people's understanding of the rich cultural and industrial history along the Riverpark corridor beyond the interpretive signage. That funding allowed Hamilton County to commission landscape architects at Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc. (BWSC), who teamed with NeoTreks and the Chattanooga History Center, to develop a mobile park application to provide visitors with a greater understanding of the park. The app is available for download on iTunes and Google Play.

At the park entry, signage directs the users to download the Tennessee Riverpark app. The app includes historic photos, videos and web links related to the Civil War, Chattanooga's industrial past, sustainable elements, historic events, places and people, and points of interest (POI) in the project corridor. The app's interactive map shows the location of the park visitor and the POIs. Electronic geo-fences programmed into the app notify users when they are approaching POIs. The map interface helps users navigate the park and retrieve the information. The menu-based app also allows visitors to view content prior to or after visiting the park. The app's augmented reality feature connects with the camera on the user's phone to provide interactive labels for trailheads. The labels are georeferenced to the user's location and display the distance to the trailheads. By touching an interactive label, users are directed to a link that includes a trailhead map and list of facilities: restrooms, water fountains, or ranger stations.

NeoTreks' enhanced AR module was developed in 2012 and updated in late 2013. It is now being used in other application, such as for the Civil War Trust Battlefield iPhone and Android apps.

The design team closely collaborated with the client Hamilton County in the design, development and testing of the mobile app. BWSC developed a series of drafts that were beta tested by the design team and an external group of beta testers assembled by the client. This allowed bugs to be corrected and improvements made.Since many of the app features are geospatial, they had to be tested on site. The BWSC design team led a beta group of local 3rd and 4th graders and their teachers to test the geospatial features of the app in the park.

As seen in LASN magazine, November 2016.