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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Holiday Gifts to the Street: How the Season Reveals the Best of City Design
A kid obsessed with the Holiday Season For those that know me well, it’s no secret that I love the holidays. I was the kid that would watch old holiday movies like White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street every year (multiple times, too!) while members of my family would roll their eyes. That obsession
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Urbies 2025 Recap: Celebrating 5 Years of Urban Design Excellence
On Thursday, October 23, the City of Charlotte Urban Design Center, in partnership with the UNC Charlotte David R. Ravin School of Architecture and Charlotte Center City Partners, hosted the fifth annual Urban Design Awards, affectionately known as The Urbies. Held at the Urban Design Center’s South End Studio, the event brought together designers, planners,
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Welcoming the Newest Team Members to the Urban Design Center
The Urban Design Center is thrilled to welcome two new team members who bring fresh perspectives, diverse experiences, and a shared passion for shaping accessible and vibrant urban spaces. Dhanya Mamallan: Associate Urban Designer & Planner Originally from Chennai, India—a city known for its rich cultural heritage and dynamic urban life—Dhanya brings a global lens
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Rethinking Cities for Everyone: How Queer Urbanism Makes Cities Safer
Written by Ria Naab Since 2000, June has been nationally recognized as Pride Month in memory of the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969. The events began as protests in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Per the Human Rights Campaign Glossary, LGBTQ+ is an acronym that stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or “questioning”),”
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2025 Urban Design Awards
Nominations for the 2025 Urban Design Awards are now open. 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. Over the next two weeks, residents have the opportunity to nominate
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Public Space in Poland: An Exploration of Third Places
Written by Justin Ritchey Imagine wandering through a narrow city street, rough cobblestone at your feet, colorful storefronts on either side with donuts and pastries in the windows. People are sitting outside, coffee in hand, talking with a good friend. As you approach the end of the street, it opens into a large square lined
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Harnessing the Power of Place
Written by Jen Baehr – Charlotte Historic Preservation Honoring Charlotte’s Historic Landmarks Every year in May, local historic preservation groups, historical societies, businesses, and civic organizations across the country celebrate Preservation Month. This year’s theme, “Harnessing the Power of Place,” recognizes the many ways that preservation work strengthens communities, revitalizes neighborhoods, supports sustainability, and connects
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Biking Around Charlotte
Written by Kara O’Hearn Imagine you are biking along one of the many greenway routes in Charlotte with large, lush trees offering refuge from the sun and a brambling creek at your side with kids running around, families walking side by side and others pausing to soak in the linear enclave of nature within the
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Building Better Cities: The Triple Bottom Line in Urban Design
Written by Chad Cramer What is the Triple Bottom Line (TBL)? Decisions are often driven by a predominant metric—the bottom line. We frequently hear decisions framed with questions like: How much will it cost? How much profit will it generate? This approach can be problematic, as prioritizing economic return often comes at the expense of
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