Interested in how Urban Design makes cities better for everyone? Our blog explores topics ranging from local Charlotte projects to global design solutions. You can find all of our past blogs here!
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How Complete Streets and Placemaking Empower Communities
Complete Streets and placemaking create safer, vibrant, and connected communities through thoughtful design, public spaces, and multimodal access. Read more
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The 2026 Peoples’ Choice Award for Great Public Space in Charlotte
Nominations for the 2026 Urban Design Awards are now open! The “Urbies,” awards program aims to recognize, celebrate and champion quality urban design in Charlotte. Over the next two weeks, residents have the opportunity to nominate outstanding projects in the People’s Choice Award for Great Urban Design category. Read more
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Beyond the Single-Family Home: Charlotte is Getting Creative with Housing
Charlotte is a beautifully diverse city, full of different family structures, lifestyles, and needs. So why should our housing all look the same? Traditional single-family homes and massive apartment complexes are great, but they don’t work for everyone. To truly serve our community, we need a mix of options in between – like duplexes, quadplexes,… Read more
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Then and Now: The Historic District Commission Turns 50
Charlotte’s preservation story: how community action revived historic neighborhoods and shaped a bold new vision for the next fifty years. Read more
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Uptown’s Spine: The Life and Evolution of Tryon Street
Written by Charlotte Lamb Kuuskvere Walk down Tryon Street on any given afternoon and you are moving through one of the most layered landscapes in the American South. Glass towers reflect clouds overhead. A food truck idles near a mid-century bank facade. Somebody’s grandmother waits for a bus in the same spot where, a few… Read more
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Love Note to the Queen City
This February, we’re sharing our love for Charlotte and the places that make it special. How you feel about your city depends on many factors—but most of them are tied to urban design! Well-being, belonging, and connection are amplified in public spaces, from streets to neighborhood coffee shops. Good urban design gives these spaces what… Read more
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Grant Opportunities Across Charlotte for Art, Activation, and Placemaking
This article provides grant seekers with a list of funding opportunities that may align with their goals and needs for community projects. Read more
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Holiday Gifts to the Street: How the Season Reveals the Best of City Design
Written by Will Linville 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… Read more
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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,… Read more
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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… Read more
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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”),”… Read more
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2025 Urban Design Awards Nominations
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… Read more