Within a span of 11 days, three charrettes – intense periods of collaborative design and planning – were held to focus on accomplishing three legacy projects in the Charlotte community.
The idea of a charrette is to bring a diverse group of professionals into the heart of the community where the work will actually take place, pool resources and talents, and develop a cohesive design proposal, while also welcoming community feedback. The workshops were hosted for projects in the Gastonia, University City and West Boulevard areas.
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[Music] Ahead of our annual Congress CNU invited Municipalities and neighborhood Organizations in the Charlotte region to Apply for pro bono technical assistance From leading Urban Design firms each Expert-led Legacy project is aimed at Supporting local leaders Advocates and Residents and communities that might not Otherwise be able to convene a project Team or develop a vision that can help People and businesses in their Communities to thrive cnu's partner Firms provide public engagement and Collaboration or a charette working Directly with local communities these Charrettes are intense multi-day Multi-disciplinary design workshops and They allow stakeholders to work with Experts on designs that best reflect the Needs of the community and their vision For the future of their neighborhood the Goal of the CNU Legacy projects is to Deliver direct impact to local Communities with both short-term Progress and long lasting momentum so That they can achieve the walkable Sustainable Equity supportive urbanism That they desire [Music] Well let's let's come over here first And um Talk about the site a little bit uh name Is Marcus King and I am the principal
Architect of fabric design in Detroit Michigan so we've been working on this For about two months before we even got Here so it's a it's a parcel that's just Underneath an acre Lots of unique conditions we have a lot Of topography I think we have about a 16 Foot drop from the front edge of the Sidewalk all the way to the back of the Site some of the biggest challenges that We've witnessed and Unearthed here are Challenges of affordability from the way I understand it Gastonia in the last 10 Years has just received a a wave of Financial investment so this is one of The preliminary versions that we came up With here you know that's that's part of The way I think about buildings it can't Just be a pretty picture it's got to Come with some financing it's got to Come with some level of numbers behind It so that yes we can make it look like This but can we actually build it and so That'll be a part of the package that we Deliver to the folks here at Gastonia Yes we heard what you said we've Embedded the social programs the Buildings look like this and yes along With that here's a couple of financial Pathways that you can now begin to seek Out to be able to put this project Together [Music] We have three days to take a site here
At University City to understand and Understand it better and how it can Evolve into the future and become a Student Main Street for our local Research University UNC Charlotte over the course of these Three days we kicked off with a site Tour which took us to the site itself Explored the side and from there Brilliant stakeholders from the Community the people who use this site Most regularly a lot of students that Come through on the first day From there it's heads down we figure out The site itself figure out how Transportation needs to work with regard To Vehicles how people enter next to the Side on foot or on bicycle and then Create a program around it one thing That they said that the developer said Which I find really interesting Foreign Murphy Antoine I'm an architect and Planner and a principal at torty gallus And partners in architecture and Planning firm based in Washington DC We've been here learning a lot about West Boulevard a lot about the history a Lot about the current conditions a lot About the concerns of the the folks that Live here and more more than concerns The aspirations so we've heard Several physical things and a lot of Social and service and even policy
Concerns so that's really a little bit Where we come in is there a idea about a Physical framework that supports that Really deep sense of community and Community commitment that the people are Already forming that node but there's Not the the specific Locations perhaps to concentrate that Enthusiasm in many ways As A Tale of Two Cities West Boulevard is the same Material is used for what you slow down In East Boulevard and you see all the Amenities and the access points but when You come into the West Boulevard quarter You don't get that same feel so you're Just traversing through when seeing you Opportunity came on board we applied for It and was fortunate this is selected We're very excited about what this Opportunity has given the community [Music] Thank you
Things to Do in Charlotte, North Carolina
Events, Life, Sports, Weather, News
One of the top 25 fastest growing cities in the country, Charlotte has that twinkly skyline and a surplus of fun things to do. But it also has the friendly calm of a small city and a strong job market that’s popular with families, professionals, and students.
The area’s natural landmarks include the Crowders Mountain State Park, where you can hike trails and camp. There’s also a nature museum with live animals. And don’t forget to check out the Discovery Place science museum for kids!
While the area doesn’t have a lot of traditional shopping malls, it does have unique shopping destinations that are fun to explore. 7th Street Public Market is an indoor marketplace with vendors selling local goods, bars and restaurants, and a food hall where you can sample different cuisines.
When it comes to sports, Charlotte has teams at every level of American football, basketball, and baseball. The Carolina Panthers are based in the city, as are the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association. The area also has a hockey team, the Charlotte Checkers, who play in Bojangles Coliseum (owned by the fried chicken chain restaurant of the same name). And the Charlotte Fire of Major League Lacrosse plays its home games at Memorial Stadium.
The city has a good public transportation system that includes bus, streetcars, and the LYNX light rail. But most people still drive in Charlotte, and the traffic can be bad at times.