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Charlotte Urban Design Center

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. The goal of the annual awards program is to recognize and celebrate quality urban design in Charlotte, while encouraging continued community discussion around what makes for unique and great places.

The Urbies award was designed by the City of Charlotte and fabricated by Making Things CLT.

Award recipients

Award recipients were chosen by a diverse, 10-member community jury. The awards ceremony recognizing the inaugural Urbies winners took place outdoors at the Charlotte Urban Design Center.

Great Transit/Trail-Oriented Development — The Metropolitan

The steps from the Little Sugar Creek Greenway into the Metropolitan with mural “Portal” by Nick Napoletano. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan.

Great 10-Minute Neighborhood — Plaza Midwood

View of the Central Avenue corridor towards Uptown Charlotte. Photo courtesy of the City of Charlotte.
Medallion crosswalk found along Central Avenue in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. Photo courtesy of the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association website.

Great Neighborhood Center — NoDa

N. Davidson Street in the NoDa neighborhood looking towards Uptown Charlotte. Photo courtesy of City of Charlotte.
Community paint at an Open Streets 704 event. Photo by Evan Plante, Docklands Design.

Great Community Activity Center — Camden Road

Enjoying restaurants along Camden Road. Photo courtesy of City of Charlotte.
The Design District along Camden Road in the South End neighborhood. Photo courtesy of City of Charlotte.

Great New Life for an Old Place — Optimist Hall

Optimist Hall exterior along Parkwood Avenue. Photo by Plaid Penguin.
Interior courtyard with view of Uptown. Photo by Plaid Penguin.

Great Public Space — Sugar Creek Greenway

View of Uptown from Little Sugar Creek Greenway at the Captain Jack sculpture in Elizabeth Park. Photo courtesy of LandDesign.
Little Sugar Creek Greenway at the Charlottetowne bridge. Photo courtesy of LandDesign.

Great Placemaking — Camp North End

Farmers Market at Camp North End. Photo by Aly Barnette.
Food stalls at Camp North End. Photo by Leandra Creative Co. Photography.
Camp North End Beach activity during the day. Photo by Julia Fay Photography.

Great Street — Tryon Street

Tryon Street during the business week. Photo courtesy of the City of Charlotte.
Flower vendors on Tryon Street. Photo courtesy of the City of Charlotte.

Great Street Redesign — 9th Street

Family enjoying the greenspace on 9th Street. Photo courtesy UDA.

Great Street Action — Black Lives Matter Mural

Black Lives Matter mural on Tryon Street. Photo by Charlotte Star Room.
The Black Lives Matter mural comes to live on Tryon Street. Photo by Lee Flythe.

Great Urban Architecture — The Railyard

Retractable glass doors at the Railyard courtyard. Photo courtesy of Beacon Partners.

Great Neighborhood Activism — Darryl Gaston (in memoriam)

Darryl Gaston standing before the Druid Hills neighborhood sign. Photo by Ann Doss Helms.

Great Student Project — Queens Park Proposal/NS Railyard Design

Master of Urban Design students with scaled model of NS Railyard reimagined. Photo courtesy of UNC Charlotte.
Student rendering of Queens Park proposal. Photo courtesy of UNC Charlotte.

The Crown Jewel — Historic West End Initiatives

The West End Seafood Market “River of Life” mural by Abel Jackson, was created honoring Bertha Maxwell-Roddey, James Ferguson, Julius Chambers, Hattie “Chatty Hattie” Leeper, Harvey Gantt and Sarah Stevenson. Photo courtesy of City of Charlotte.
The Wadell Street Park to Oak Lawn Cemetery connector of the Urban Arboretum Trail. Photo courtesy of City of Charlotte.

Great Urban Design Champions — Hugh McColl & Harvey Gantt

Hugh McColl, former Chairman and CEO of Bank of America. Harvey Gantt, architect and former Mayor of Charlotte.

“This is an exciting moment! These awards are a timely recognition of the work our professional and citizen urban designers have done in our city, neighborhoods and transit station areas over the past decades” said Taiwo Jaiyeoba, Assistant City Manager and Planning Director of the City of Charlotte. “Memorable cities are often outcomes of memorable designs. What do people remember when they think of Charlotte? These awardees are answering that question. I am glad we could partner with UNCC to set high expectations for the type of city we want people to live, work and play in.”

A public panel discussion about the awards recipients and their projects will take place, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City, 320 E. 9th Street. UNC Charlotte Master of Urban Design Director Sekou Cooke will moderate a conversation with “Urbies” jurors Beth Poovey of LandDesign, Ike Heard former UNC Charlotte professor and practicing economic developer, Clayton Sealey of CLT Development, and UNC Charlotte professor Deb Ryan, awards jury chair. The event will be held both in person and virtually, via Zoom. Attendance is free, but registration is required.

“Good urban design is fundamental to a safe, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable city,” said Ryan, who is a professor of urban design. “We are pleased to recognize the good work being done in Charlotte to create great urban spaces. In the future, we look forward to inviting the public’s participation in the Charlotte Urban Design Awards with a People’s Choice Award.”

Charlotte Urban Design Center

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