Charlotte Urban Design Center
Hi there!
Welcome to the Charlotte Urban Design Center’s blog. Here, you will find in-depth storytelling, thought leadership and information on the latest design trends from the UDC’s resident experts.
Our Mission
The Charlotte Urban Design Center’s mission is to advance the quality of Charlotte’s built environment and bring public awareness to the importance of urban design.
What we do
The Charlotte Urban Design Center reveals how design influences quality of life and economic resilience, and advocates for great public places in a livable city.
Our Focus
With its focus on advancing the city’s built environment and the diversity of expertise among its staff, the Charlotte Urban Design Center brings unique value and perspectives to the City of Charlotte’s infrastructure, transit, placemaking, economic development projects.
Keep reading for more examples of our work!
Our most recent stories
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Creative Engagement for Freedom-Wilkinson Photovoice
Introduction One Christmas as a kid, I received my first digital camera. This was before everyone always had a high-quality camera in their pocket, when Blackberries and flip phones were still the norm. Having the power and accessibility of a camera to take any photo I wanted was a privilege at the time. I took…
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Studio Connections with Potions & Pixels
Did you know that the Urban Design Center proudly partners with Potions & Pixels to host a monthly board game night at our South End Studio? We have held six Third Thursday Board Game Nights with over a hundred people visiting the Studio this year. We hope you will join us for our last two…
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Announcing the 2023 Urbies Winners
Charlotte, N.C. (Oct. 20, 2023) – The City of Charlotte Urban Design Center and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Architecture presented the city’s third annual Urban Design Awards, also known as the Urbies, on Thursday in a ceremony dedicated to showcasing excellent urban design. The awards program aims to recognize and…
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Summer Internship Journey at Charlotte Urban Design Center
The summer of 2023 I embarked on a journey that would redefine my understanding of urban planning and design. I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Charlotte Urban Design Center, and what unfolded over the next few weeks was transformative.
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2023 Urban Design Awards
Affectionately dubbed the “Urbies,” this Urban Design Center-led awards program aims to recognize, celebrate, and champion quality urban design in Charlotte while encouraging continued community discussion around what makes for unique and great places.
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Churches and Adaptive Reuse
I’ve worn many hats in approximately 14 years in the planning profession, and I sometimes think that is what makes me an effective planner and designer. A few jobs ago, I actually had Friday afternoons reserved for issuing yard sale permits (no more than four per home per year, thank you).
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Our Door Is Open to you.
The Urban Design Center’s mission is to advance the quality of Charlotte’s built environment and bring public awareness to the importance of urban design. The center reveals how design influences quality of life and economic resilience, and advocates for great public places in a livable city.
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Making People Places: Programming Five Points Plaza
We have had an eventful year at the Urban Design Center, and our most literally event-full project is Five Points Plaza in the heart of Charlotte’s Historic West End at 1803 W. Trade Street.
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A space becomes a place in Miami — the Underline
When I think about Miami, I’ll usually associate it with the bits and pieces of pop culture embedded in me from my childhood years. Due to my slightly advanced age,
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The Second Annual Urban Design Awards
On October 27th, The City of Charlotte Urban Design Center and the UNC-Charlotte School of Architecture presented the city’s second annual Urban Design Awards. Affectionally dubbed “The Urbies,” this awards program recognizes and celebrates quality urban design in Charlotte.
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Dorothea Dix Park — Place, Community, Planet
The Design Imperatives conference hosted in Raleigh this September focused on challenges facing our region today and opportunities for the future regarding how we build more connected, sustainable communities.
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2nd Annual Urban Design Awards Nominations
The 2nd annual Urban Design Awards or “Urbies,” presented by the Charlotte Urban Design Center and UNC Charlotte’s School of Architecture, will take place on Oct. 27, and this year we need YOU!
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Bike OKC
At the end of March, the UDC attended the Congress for the New Urbanism in Oklahoma City. After a week of learning from and connecting with fellow urbanists, the final day was upon us.
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Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum
…is a place of terrorism transformed into a commemorative landscape that moves your heart and then your soul.
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Oklahoma City’s Wheeler District
If I were to ask you what a 90-acre former airport, the old Santa Monica pier Ferris wheel, and an Instagram-friendly sculpture had in common, you might be hard-pressed to find an answer.
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Congress for the New Urbanism CNU#31 Comes to Charlotte
he City of Charlotte and the Urban Design Center are so pleased to announce that the Congress for the New Urbanism has chosen Charlotte as the location of their next Congress — CNU31.
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Five Points Plaza — It’s Open!
Last month the City of Charlotte cut the ribbon on Five Points Plaza in the Historic West End. This public space is the first that the City has constructed in 30 years — the last was Polk Park at Trade and Tryon streets.
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Calling all Urban Designers! Come join the Urban Design Center
In working to put communities and citizens first, the City of Charlotte’s Department of Planning, Design, and Development is committed to creating great places.
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Placemaking Grants and the Creative Pool are Back!
The Urban Design Center in the city’s Planning, Design & Development department will open the application processes for both the 2022 placemaking grant program and the placemaking creative pool on Friday, Jan. 14.
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Reimagining The Ritz in Historic Washington Heights
This Saturday an icon of the Historic West End will be brought back to life. The Ritz at Washington Heights is the City of Charlotte’s newest open space on the Beatties Ford Road corridor. At this location The Ritz, the last movie …
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In Case you Missed It: Urban Design Awards in Review
The City of Charlotte Urban Design Center and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Architecture presented the city’s first Urban Design Awards, or “Urbies,” last week to elevate the importance of excellent urban design.
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The City of Charlotte with UNC Charlotte, announces the inaugural Charlotte Urban Design Awardees
The City of Charlotte Urban Design Center and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Architecture presented the city’s first Urban Design Awards, or “Urbies,” today to elevate the importance of excellent urban design.
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City of Charlotte and UNC Charlotte School of Architecture Present Inaugural Charlotte Urban Design Awards
“The city’s partnership with UNC Charlotte on this awards program will recognize and promote good design throughout the city,” says Planning Director Taiwo Jaiyeoba.
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Corridors of Opportunity: Placemaking Projects
The Charlotte Urban Design Center’s work with the Corridors of Opportunity program continues to blossom with project implementation underway and coming soon to the West Boulevard and Beatties Ford Road corridors
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Call for Artists — West Blvd. Bus Shelters
The City of Charlotte is continuing to expand transportation options in the region and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is seeking professional artists living and/or working in the Charlotte area to integrate art into two future bus stops at the intersection of West Blvd. and Remount Rd.
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Calling All Creatives
The Charlotte Urban Design Center is calling all types of creatives to apply for two opportunities to work with the City of Charlotte like never before.
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City of Charlotte unveils Charlotte Urban Design Center
Welcome to the Charlotte Urban Design Center’s new Medium blog. Here, readers will find in-depth storytelling, thought leadership and information on the latest design trends from the center’s resident experts. The City of Charlotte officially unveiled the new Charlotte Urban Design Center on Jan. 28 at the 2021 Southeast Urban Design Summit, a virtual gathering of…
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