Here is our 2015 poster collage of event images and a numbered list describing each monthly event.  


See if you can match the images with the specific event.  Answers are at the bottom.  




PARK LIGHT-UP 

Charlotte's New First Ward Park


Enhanced Image:  Shadley Associates via Charlotte Observer


One of four major park spaces in downtown Charlotte, this entirely new 4.6 acre park is well connected to Center City, the First Ward Neighborhood and the University of North Carolina Charlotte. The park also benefits from an existing on-site light rail station, restaurants, offices, the First Ward Elementary School, and ImagineON; a children’s library and performing arts center which currently attracts visitation of over 500,000 annually. Shadley Associates, a Massachusetts-based firm, won this invited national competition to design a park to attract visitors from greater Charlotte and beyond. The park design uses granite seat walls and hundreds of native trees and shrubs to frame an open central lawn.  The granite walls embody the famous geology of the region and give definition to the parks many garden sub-spaces. There are numerous entrances into the park, a full walking circuit around it, and many paths through it. Park features include two major public fountains, garden structures, public art and an interpretive exhibit of the History of Charlotte. First Ward Park is also the new home of the City’s successful Jazz Concert Series which hosts events with attendances of over 4,000. The park dedication and light up is scheduled for December 8.  Please gather with us at the Levine Museum at 5:15PM and walk over to First Ward Park for the 5:30PM Light Up the Park event.  We will meet and chat with members of the design team.


CIVIC BY DESIGN FORUM

Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 

5:15pm Gather at the Levine Museum of the New South lobby and walk to First Ward Park to attend the 5:30PM Light Up the Park Event 


Levine Museum of the New South

200 East Seventh Street

Charlotte NC

Free and open to the public

Free parking after 5PM at 7th street parking garage with Museum validation stamp

info@civicbydesign.com   

www.civicbydesign.com

Civic By Design on Facebook

Civic By Design on Twitter


THE DECEMBER 8 EVENT: 

 The following will be included in this event:

1. Gather at the Levine Museum of the New South lobby at 5:15PM for welcome

2. Walk to First Ward Park and attend the Light Up the Park Event

3. Meet and chat with members of the design team

4. Enjoy touring the park and samplings of food and refreshments 


QUESTIONS?  info@civicbydesign.com  

 

PARTNERS:    Presented with Levine Museum of the New South 

First Ward Park is the culmination of a joint partnership between Levine Properties, UNC Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte. 

Shadley Associates


REFERENCES:  

Mecklenburg County Parks and Rec http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Parks/ParkPlanning/Pages/FirstWard.aspx

Charlotte Observer http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article41479329.html


"You can neither lie to a neighbourhood park, nor reason with it. 'Artist's conceptions' and persuasive renderings can put pictures of life into proposed neighbourhood parks or park malls, and verbal rationalizations can conjure up users who ought to appreciate them, but in real life only diverse surroundings have the practical power of inducing a natural, continuing flow of life and use.” 

― Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities



DREARY CHEERY

CIVIC DESIGN CAN TRANSFORM A BUS OR TROLLEY WAIT FROM DREARY TO CHEERY




Charlotte is just in the beginning stages of retrofitting our auto-centric street frontages with active walkable places.   But transit stop locations and waiting experiences — especially bus stops — are generally third rate. Looking at inspiration from local efforts and other communities, can both the public transit system as well as the private sector — individuals, businesses and community groups alike — do better for bus transit riders in Charlotte?  Please join us for a discussion with Tom Warshauer, Community Engagement Manager, City of Charlotte.



CIVIC BY DESIGN FORUM

Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, November 10, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm

Levine Museum of the New South

200 E. 7th Street

Free and open to the public

Free parking at 7th Street Station parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   

www.civicbydesign.com

Follow Us on Twitter!

Follow Us on Facebook 


THE NOVEMBER 10 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1. A look at some of the transit stops in Charlotte

2. Review examples of both dreary and cheery transit stops across the globe.

3. Hear from participants about their experiences riding transit here and in other communities.

4. Explore examples and methods of creating transit stops that are not only cheery but can also elevate our quality of life, mobility, and economic value through embedded civic design.


QUESTIONS?: 

 info@civicbydesign.com  



PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South 


REFERENCE:

Tom Warshauer, part of the City team that won a grant to place porch swings in public places including bus stops on Central Ave, will give an overview of the project that aims to create new ‘civic front porches’ in Charlotte. He’ll also push a bit further.


Article:  Your Friendly Neighborhood Transit Stop:  Good Design Can Transform Bus or Trolley Wait From Dreary to Cheery By Tom Low, Special to The Observer





POLARIZED PUBLIC REALM

 How can we support a culture of design and development that is not indifferent to the public realm?





Sometimes referred to as outdoor rooms, the public realm primarily consists of the streets, sidewalks, parks, plazas, and other gathering spaces that comprise the corridors and nodes of our cities, towns, and neighborhoods. The quality of our public realm is at the heart of how we experience the surrounding environment and relate to neighbors and our communities. Therefore, it is important that the public realm is safe, sustainable, and enriching.  Leaders are excited about the momentum and interest in living and developing inside our historic walkable neighborhoods.  Main reasons include close proximity to center city and urban districts as well as a high quality walkable public realm.  And while hip architectural plan/elevation design, creative site layouts for parking, and rooftop views are a priority, clearly some recent infill is not elevating or even maintaining the quality of the public realm.  Please join us and neighborhood advocates, community leaders, designers, and developers to discuss how civic design can further enhance as well as mitigate degradation of our walkable neighborhoods.



CIVIC BY DESIGN FORUM

Presented with Levine Museum of the New Southand

Tuesday, October 13, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm


Levine Museum of the New South

Free and open to the public


Free parking at 7th street parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   


www.civicbydesign.com

Follow Us on Twitter!


Follow Us on Facebook 



 

THE OCTOBER 13 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1. Learn about the meaning and definition of the public realm and why it is important.

2. See local examples of both good and polarizing development ocuring in our historic neighborhoods, Center City, and other communities within our region.

3. Hear from concerned citizens and neighborhood leaders about how this trend is helping and threatening the quality of life of their communities.

4. Explore examples of good design and development methods for infill and redevelopment framework that can help protect the quality and elevate economic value through civic design.


QUESTIONS?: 

 info@civicbydesign.com  



PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South 


REFERENCE:

The public realm is a vital aspect of the built environment that helps to give a city its identity.  It is the main space where civic interaction occurs and is often defined in contrast to private property. A well designed public realm balances the mobility and access needs for all users and contributes to the efficient functioning of a city and its sense of place.  The quality of our public realm is vital if we are to be successful in creating environments that people want to live, work, and play. Human scale form-based design includes creating walls to the outdoor room includes width to height proportions and especially having active and interactive edges. 

Images:  Historic House Directly Across the Street from New Infill Housing.

The Public Realm essay by Richard Sennett

Public Realm Design Manual District of Columbia 




PAST EVENTS:




MINI-CITIES

The March Towards Walkable Places 



What if you were offered the opportunity to create a neighborhood so much more attractive than its surroundings that it will suck up all the nearby companies, apartment renters and condo buyers.   To do this it will be pedestrian-friendly, encourage audience interaction and engagement, and establish a sense of place for the local community.  It will include everything you could think of that appeals to you but will need to shatter precedents to make its plan work.  Welcome to the march towards Mini-Cites.  Mini-Cities include vibrant village plazas with both shopping and housing, concentrations of mid and high-rise apartment buildings, offices, and clusters of residences that allowed more green space for recreation. As the march of the Mini-Cities advances, not all of the grandiose visions are likely to succeed. There is considerable risk, time, design, and cost associated with demolishing existing buildings and re-working them as something completely different. Please join us as we discuss Mini-Cities with nationally-recognized, mixed-use developer Brian Leary.


CIVIC BY DESIGN FORUM


Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, September 8, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm

Levine Museum of the New South

 

THE SEPTEMBER 8 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1.  Find out what Mini-Cities are and why are they are appealing.

2.  Define the some key/ideal elements of a Mini-City, including precedent that bridges garden cities with new urbanism and landscape urbanism.

3.  Learn what it takes to make a Mini-City.  

4.  Discuss and point to some local examples, or at least hybrids (both good and bad), as well as potential Mini-Cities within our region. 


QUESTIONS?:  info@civicbydesign.com   


PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/


REFERENCE:

The March of the MINI-CITIES

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2015/08/12/in-the-washington-suburbs-the-march-of-the-mini-cities/


The Mosaic District: Urban Village Grows from SUBURBAN WASTELAND

http://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2013/Fall-2013/Development-Ownership/The-Mosaic-District.aspx

"Occupied by an aging multiplex cinema surrounded by a sea of deteriorating asphalt, as well as an equipment rental business and communications towers, the property did not seem to be a likely setting  for a new urban neighborhood."


GOODBY OFFICEPARKS. Drawn by amenities and talent, tech firms are opting for cities

"When you're in a city," "the bar or the restaurant becomes an extended conference room." Since the neighborhood lacked them, "the idea went from 'let's build a campus' to 'let's build a city.' 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444914904577619441778073340


What do MILLENNIALS VALUE? 

From Residential Architect Magazine: "Pegged as socially conscientious, millennials by and large seem to value ... walkability, connectivity, ... that include defined public centers, discernible boundaries between neighborhoods, and a sense of urban diversity. Among the biggest factors in choosing a house was the neighborhood, according to the NAR study, “Millennials were most influenced by the quality of the neighborhood (75 percent) and convenience to jobs (74 percent).”

http://www.residentialarchitect.com/aia-architect/aiapractice/all-in_o




STREETCAR FUNRIDE

Seventy-seven Years after Its Early Heyday, Can the Streetcar Shape How Charlotteans Live Once Again?




Images:  Elizabeth Avenue as it was viewed from Elizabeth College, now the site of the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center (Courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room – Charlotte Mecklenburg Library) and from the same view today (Courtesy of Civic By Design)


Many of Charlotte’s close-in neighborhoods, such as Myers Park, Dilworth and Plaza Midwood, were planned along streetcar routes extending from Charlotte’s Trade and Tryon Streets. These neighborhoods were Images:  Elizabeth Avenue as it was viewed from Elizabeth College, now the site of the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center (Courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room – Charlotte Mecklenburg Library) and from the same view today (Courtesy of Civic By Design)

expressly designed to provide all their residents an easy walk to the trolley stops, giving them the tranquil and walkable attributes they have today. Even Myers Park’s signature “Queens” roads follow the wide medians upon which the tracks were formerly laid - not the paved lanes! Seventy-seven years since the last run of the streetcar that served it, streetcar service was restored a few weeks ago to one of these neighborhoods, the Elizabeth Community.

 

While the imprint on Charlotte’s old neighborhoods is significant, will the streetcar’s reintroduction matter as much to tomorrow’s Charlotte?

 

Some surprising reasons suggest that it will… Join us at Earl’s Grocery in Elizabeth to review the legacy of the streetcar in Charlotte with Levine Museum’s resident historian Tom Hanchett and discuss the implications of linking together the vibrant communities along the Gold Line’s future ten-mile alignment. We will then enjoy a ride on the CityLYNX Gold Line’s starter line. Along the way, we will meet with Kati Stegall of CATS Art-in-Transit to hear about the work that went in to creating the attractive artwork on the Gold Line shelter windscreens. One of the project designers, Eric Orozco of Neighboring Concepts, will also be on hand to update us on the efforts underway to extend the Gold Line to implement its little known but critical roles for Charlotte’s future metro-wide transit network. We will return to Elizabeth on the Gold Line to celebrate the return of the streetcar to Charlotte at The Spoke Easy - a new kind of hangout that typifies in several ways how Charlotte is reinventing itself once again.


CIVIC BY DESIGN FORUM


Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, August 11, 2015  |  5:30pm — 7ish 


Meet in front of Earl's Grocery 1609 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204

Free and open to the public

info@civicbydesign.com   


www.civicbydesign.com

Civic By Design on Facebook


Civic By Design on Twitter

 

THE AUGUST 11 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:


1.  Learn about the history of the Charlotte Streetcar and their connection to the original Streetcar Suburbs.

2.  Discuss how the restored streetcar service can have a critical role in connecting Charlotteans together in our century.

3.  Visit the public art installations along the Gold Line see how good design and art can improve the appearance and safety of a facility, give vibrancy to its public spaces, and make patrons feel welcome.

4.  Enjoy a fun ride on the Gold Line and return to Elizabeth to conclude our evening celebrating the return of the streetcar to Charlotte at the Spoke Easy.


QUESTIONS?:  info@civicbydesign.com   



PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

Charlotte Area Transit System www.ridetransit.org


REFERENCE:

Making Transit Fun http://www.islandpress.org/book/making-transit-fun

CityLYNX Gold Line Celebrates Grand Opening: The Future of Transportation Looks Golden  http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/news/pressreleases/Pages/071515.aspx

Art in Transit  Art-in-Transit CityLYNX Gold Line Website






LANDSCAPE URBANISM

Connecting the Dis-connected Green to the Fragmented City – The Case of University City



Image:  Student's work for the University City, Charlotte, North Carolina Master Plan project


FYI - here is the next Civic By Design Forum on Landscape Urbanism with a presentation by UNCC's Masters of Urban Design student team on their case study project for the University City area.


It will be interesting to highlight the theory of Landscape Urbanism while focusing on the site specific project of the University City regeneration master plan.  The University City area is predominately sprawl and in the path of the next light rail line extension and more intensive development.  The student's work reflects urban design qualities that expand on core Landscape Urbanism principles lead by landscape urbanist Professor Ming-Chun Lee and faculty.  It will be interesting to see how the work attempts to integrate ecology with community design.  Part of the discussion is about how this newly emerging practice can be better integrated with other traditional practices in the field of urban design such as New Urbanism.  As you know this is a particular interest of mine with my work on Light Imprint  as a way to integrate the ecological performance of Landscape Urbanism with New Urbanism's strengths of walkability, connectivity, block structure, mixed-use, housing choice, rural-to-urban transect, human-scale neighborhoods, the art of place-making, etc..  On occasion, during the academic year, I have participated as a visiting critic.


The monthly Forum — in our eleventh year — generally draws 1/3 regular folks, 1/3 local leaders and grass roots advocates, and 1/3 design professionals/students.


Best,

T.



Given our current environmental predicament and never-ending urban sprawl, the challenge for urban designers is to find ways to revive, redefine the existing urban form that spreads around us. Perhaps, through the eyes of our mother nature, the forgiving landscape may offer us some clues. Urban landscape systems encompass a wide spectrum of green elements at different geographic scales, with various identities and purposes. Urban design sits at the intersection of these scalar positions, regional on one end; local on the other. The newly emerging practice of Landscape Urbanism combines landscape architecture’s understanding of the role of succession, erosion, deposition, and ecology as landscape processes, and urban design’s understanding of the need for tangible places, defined of street walls, plazas, paths, nodes, edges, landmarks, etc. Please join Professor Ming-Chun Lee and the students from UNC Charlotte Urban Design Program as they present their explorations of this new practice using Charlotte’s University City as their testing ground. 


CIVIC BY DESIGN FORUM


Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, July 14, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm 


Levine Museum of the New South

Free and open to the public


Free parking at 7th street parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   


www.civicbydesign.com

Civic By Design on Facebook


Civic By Design on Twitter

 

THE JULY 14 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:


1.     Learn about the underlying principles of Landscape Urbanism.

2.     Discuss how this newly emerging practice can be better integrated with other traditional practices in the field of urban design such as New Urbanism.

3.     Review the current context of Charlotte’s University City area and its opportunities and constraints to transform into a livable and sustainable place to live, work, and play.

4.     Hear from the students their visions for the University City area and learn about their proposals to utilize this area’s natural green assets as the catalyst for positive urban makeovers.


QUESTIONS?:  info@civicbydesign.com   



PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

School of Architecture, Master of Urban Design Program, University of North Carolina @ Charlotte http://coaa.uncc.edu/academics/school-of-architecture/degrees/master-of-urban-design


REFERENCE:

•  Landscape Urbanism: Definitions & Trajectory, by Christopher Gray, http://scenariojournal.com/article/christopher-gray/

• The Rise of Landscape Urbanism, by Boston Society of Architects,   http://www.architects.org/sites/default/files/Fall10_Interview_web_0.pdf

•  The High Line, Friends of the High Line, http://www.thehighline.org/


livepage.apple.com






STERILIZING DEVELOPMENT

Citizen's Are Rallying for Developers to "Stop Sterilizing Charlotte" 


             



Image:  Opponents of a new apartment complex at a recent Charlotte City Council meeting credit: Ely Portillo, Charlotte Observer


Sterilizing development can be defined as new development that is too dense, too tall, too quick and diluting the funky character that makes our historic neighborhoods special.   These new designs are completely different in character and feel, quality, and style of bland, boring, beige, behemoth boxes all with the same look, the same standards, same floor plans.  This coarse grain approach is wiping out affordable housing and hole-in-the-wall neighborhood hang-outs, forcing people out and changing both the character and the social structure.  Developments with weak design and poor construction will not age well and quickly become passé, leaving neighborhoods to deal with the negative consequences in their wake.  Please join Civic By Design as we explore how development is sterilizing Charlotte.


THE JUNE 9 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1.  Review current design and redevelopment projects and their pros and cons for improving and harming neighborhoods and citizens — i.e. inclusive vs. elite, fine-grain vs. too coarse, durable vs. disposable?

2.  Determine what is key — i.e. can better civic design preserve elements of what is here now and allow for something new to come in and is it possible to control this? 

3.  Analyze the time and financial challenges developers along with the constraints and design teams must address and what options should be considered — i.e. the benefits and backlash of strong and time-consuming strict historic standards if imposed or are there other options?

4.  Explore ideas for a better and more civic design and development process as well as tools and techniques and how they can help —  i.e. where economics do not trump sentiment.


QUESTIONS?:  info@civicbydesign.com   


PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

#StopSterilizingCharlotte 


REFERENCE: 


Articles:

Plaza Midwood residents back Tommy's Pub, oppose rezoning at council meeting

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article21342657.html#storylink=cpyhttp://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article21342657.html


http://www.wcnc.com/story/money/business/2015/04/21/plaza-midwood-residents-fight-rezoning-for-apartment-building/26162199/

Plaza Midwood residents fight rezoning for apartment building

It's the oldest bar in Plaza Midwood, and if one developer has his way, Tommy's Pub could soon be a thing of the past.

wcnc.com


http://www.fox46charlotte.com/story/29087669/plaza-midwood-residents-to-fight-against-rezoning-monday

Plaza Midwood residents to fight against rezoning Monday

Charlotte City Council will vote Monday on whether to rezone a portion of Plaza Midwood.

fox46charlotte.com


http://clclt.com/charlotte/apartment-developers-are-sterilizing-charlotte/Content?oid=3608904

Apartment developers are sterilizing Charlotte

Public art was the subject of WFAE's Charlotte Talks on Monday. A representative from the Arts and Science Council and two other guests spoke at...

clclt.com


http://wfae.org/post/growth-and-development-charlotte-neighborhoods

Growth And Development In Charlotte Neighborhoods

A few weeks ago, we spent an hour talking about Charlotte’s apartment boom. Ten thousand units are set to go online soon with 10,000 more in the planning

wfae.org


Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, June 9, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm 

Levine Museum of the New South

Free and open to the public

Free parking at 7th street parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   

Civic By Design on Facebook

Civic By Design on Twitter










LITTLE ASPHALT

The Solution for Sustainable, Healthy Communities


Images:  Central Avenue Big Asphalt Transforming to Little Asphalt.  Watch the transformation video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mceBvPfNgmE


The April Forum included a great presentation and discussion laying out the points clearly on what (and who) is Big Asphalt, and how it harms America.  See Charlotte Observer: 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article18771834.html


The May Forum launches the solution: Little Asphalt.  Please join us back at the Levine Museum.


THE MAY 12 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1.  Recap the problems of Big Asphalt - the opposite of Little Asphalt,

2.  Discuss the alternate of Little Asphalt to create Sustainable, Healthy Communities.

3.  See case studies of places harmed by Big Asphalt and how these can be transformed to Little Asphalt with these 4 Rs: 

•  Repairing crappy commercial corridors,

•  Retrofitting auto-centric infrastructure in urban centers,

*  Renovating passe' bulldozer bait suburban office park, and

•  Re-rooting traffic hostile neighborhoods


PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

Better Cities & Towns  http://www.bettercities.net



REFERENCE: 

Articles:

Can Charlotte Overcome Its Love for Roads? http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article18771834.html

The Little Asphalt Solution: http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/robert-steuteville/21532/little-asphalt-way-sustainable-healthy-communities

Why Traffic Congestion Never Ends: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article20035458.html


Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, May 12, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm 

Levine Museum of the New South

Free and open to the public

Free parking at 7th street parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   

Civic By Design on Facebook

Civic By Design on Twitter








BIG ASPHALT

What (and who) is Big Asphalt, and how does it harm America?



Image:  Typical arterial slicing through city neighborhoods


You know you are in Big Asphalt when…

a) You are surrounded by parking lots and pavement so vast you can see the curvature of the Earth.

b) To cross the street without getting run over, you have to put on your running shoes.

c) To communicate with someone catty-corner on an intersection, you must use a cell phone. 

d) You feel sorry for people on foot because you assume that only someone who is desperate would walk in that location.

e) If your house requires a seven-mile-drive to visit your backyard neighbor, then you probably live in a Big Asphalt area. 

Big Asphalt is an approach to infrastructure and transportation planning that maximizes pavement; refers to the places built as a result of that approach; and identifies a collection of interests that support or benefit from Big Asphalt, which is also known as the "asphalt-industrial machine."  

Please join Robert Steuteville, Executive Director of Better! Cities & Towns as Civic By Design discusses Big Asphalt.


THE APRIL 14 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1.  What (and who) is Big Asphalt,

2.  See examples of places harmed by Big Asphalt,

3.  Review a study on how crashes on smaller, more enclosed streetscapes were less likely to result in injury or death compared with those on larger, more open streetscapes, and

3.  Discuss how the alternate approach of Little Asphalt is better for cities and towns.



QUESTIONS?:  info@civicbydesign.com   



PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

Better Cities & Towns  http://www.bettercities.net



REFERENCE: 

Articles:

You know you are in big asphalt when...http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/robert-steuteville/21522/you-know-you-are-big-asphalt-when

What (and who) is Big Asphalt, and how does it harm America?  http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/robert-steuteville/21521/what-and-who-big-asphalt-and-how-does-it-harm-america

New Urbanist Neighborhood Suffers From Flawed Street Design http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/04/a-case-study-in-flawed-street-design/389291/?utm_source=nl_daily_link3_040115

The Little Asphalt Solution http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/robert-steuteville/21532/little-asphalt-way-sustainable-healthy-communities


Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, April 14, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm 

Levine Museum of the New South

Free and open to the public

Free parking at 7th street parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   

Civic By Design on Facebook

Civic By Design on Twitter





              


100 GARDENS

Creating Communities Combining Food Production, Education, and the Security of Our Region


Image: 100 Gardens


Few of us give it a second thought — where food comes from and how agriculture impacts our lives.  Architect Ron Morgan didn't either until he found himself in the ruins of earthquake damaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti asking himself "how these people going to feed themselves?". That one question sparked a deeper search, not just the challenges facing Haiti but the importance of food production and education for the youth of our region.  The result is 100 Gardens, a development company co-founded with Sam Fleming, which designs and installs aquaponics greenhouse laboratories to advance STEM education.  Please join Ron Morgan and his partners for a compelling and inspiring Forum on 100 Gardens.


THE MARCH 10 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1) Hear a presentation of the 100 Gardens vision, How it began, where it’s headed.

2) Learn about key projects and how they are designed to most effectively impact STEM based education. 

3) Explore the implications of this holistic long-term vision at all scales - from individual schools to regional partnerships.

4) Discuss ways 100 Gardens can further it's mission and who should get involved.


QUESTIONS?:  info@civicbydesign.com



PARTNERS:  

100 Gardens http://100gardens.simdif.com/index.html

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/



REFERENCE: 

Life is ultimately about systems - organisms, social/economic systems and ecological systems. To encourage new ways of thinking and systemic institutional change, we are forging development partnerships in schools, prisons, and community institutions to establish a network of Aquaponic Gardens (AquaLabs)

Ron Morgan has always been stirring things up, either creating tree houses as a child or working as a community activist as an adult. Looking back from age 71, Ron remembers with perfect clarity his struggles with restrictive schooling contrasted by his early addiction to motorcycles racing. Formally educated as an architect, he enjoyed decades of professional practice as a developer recycling historic buildings and revitalizing downtowns across the Carolinas. Ron is the first to say he's not much of a gardener.    

 

Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, March 10  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm 

Levine Museum of the New South

200 East Seventh Street

Charlotte NC

Free and open to the public

Free parking at 7th street parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   

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URBANIZED PART 2

Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it?

   




              

URBANIZED PART 1

Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it?


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Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and  environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain.

THE JANUARY 13 EVENT: The following will be included in this event:

1.    Learn who is allowed to shape our cities and how they do it.

2.  Hear how ordinary citizens are contributing to urban change.

3.  Explore a diverse range of urban design projects around the world.

3.  Discuss how Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities and how we can apply these successes to become contributors to urban change for our region.


PARTNERS:  

Levine Museum of the New South http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

Charlotte Film Society  http://www.charlottefilmsociety.com/


REFERENCE: 

Urbanized is the third part of Gary Hustwit’s design film trilogy, joining Helvetica and Objectified. Urbanized is currently screening at film festivals and cinemas worldwide, with television broadcasts, and release on DVD and digital formats. Join the mailing list or follow Gary on Twitter to stay informed of new announcements.





Answers to Puzzler:  1-C, 2-I, 3-J, 4-H, 5-A, 6-D, 7-E, 8-F, 9-G, 10-F, 11-K, 12-B.


Presented with Levine Museum of the New South

Tuesday, January 13, 2015  |  5:30pm — 6:30pm 

Levine Museum of the New South

200 East Seventh Street

Charlotte NC

Free and open to the public

Free parking at 7th street parking garage 

info@civicbydesign.com   


The mission of the Civic By Design Center is to elevate the quality of our region’s built environment and to promote public participation in the creation of a more beautiful and functional region for all. We achieve our mission by engaging and uniting businesses, non-profits, academic institutions, municipal governments, and citizens through civic design consulting as well as our monthly Forum. The Forum is free and open to the public in our eleventh year of activity. The Forum is presented with the Levine Museum of the New South and through partnerships with the Foundation for the Carolinas, Crossroads Charlotte, American Institute of Architects Charlotte, the Congress for the New Urbanism Carolinas, the Charlotte Sierra Club, the US Green Building Council Charlotte, the City of Belmont, the Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance, the Charlotte Mixed-Income Housing Coalition, Congress of Residential Architecture Charlotte, the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art Charlotte, City of Charlotte Transportation and Planning, Charlotte Center City Partners, Sustain Charlotte, the Public Art Program of Charlotte’s Arts & Science Council, TreesCharlotte, Plan Charlotte and participants like you.  Thomas E. Low AIA CNU LEED AICP NCARB, Director, Civic By Design Center. © 2015