December 2025

21 Placemaking: Bringing community and creativity to everyday spaces At the heart of this movement is the Charlotte Urban Design Cen - ter (UDC), which since 2018 has run the Placemaking Grant Pro - gram. The program gives resi - dents and artists the tools and funding to transform underused or overlooked places street cor - ners, sidewalks, alleys, bus stops into meaningful spaces enriched by art, color, and character. Through “Supporting Art,” the city permits and encourages in- stallations such as street murals, wall murals, decorative utility-box wraps, custom signage, and even painted crosswalks turning func - tional or otherwisebland infrastruc - ture into unexpected public art. Transit meets art: Everyday com- mutes reimagined Public transit isn’t often associated with beauty but in Charlotte, that’s changing. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) runs an Art in Transit initiative that dedicates roughly 1% of construction bud - gets for light-rail stations, bus shel - ters, transit centers and related in- frastructure to permanent artworks. That means commuters consis - tently encounter art: at plat- forms, waiting pads, walls, and glass windscreens adorned with mosaic, pat- tern, history, and design. For example, the 25th Street Sta- tion along the Blue Line fea- tures a striking mosaic mu - ral commissioned by CATS turning an everyday station into a small public landmark. In 2025, Charlotte rolled out a unique example of creative- public art: the city’s first stormwater-education side- walk mural outside the Rosa Parks Place Transit Center. Painted along a pedestrian corridor, the mural uses art to teach people about howevery - day pollution travels through storm drains into local creeks mixing creativity with en- vironmental awareness. Community stories and identity on walls and streets Beyond transit and infra- structure, public art in Char - lotte reflects community identity, history, and stories. Local neighborhood proj - ects murals in southeast Charlotte, art-wrapped util- ity cabinets, painted cross - walks bring vibrancy to resi - dential streets, often highlighting the heritage, diversity, or aspira- tions of the people who live there. Tools like the UDC’s Support - ing Art toolkit make it easier for residents to propose and imple- ment these projects, so public art isn’t just commissioned by large institutions it’s community- driven. That sense of ownership means murals and installations of- ten become shared symbols, con - versation starters, or landmarks. Why “Unexpected Art” Matters Accessibility: Not everyone vis - its art galleries but nearly ev - eryone walks streets, waits for a bus, or crosses intersections. Bringing art to those spaces de- mocratizes cultural experience. Place-making & community iden - tity: Art can give neighborhoods character, making them feel unique and cared for rather than generic. Safety & activation: Livelier streets with art, lighting, and de- sign encourage pedestrian activ- ity, discourage vandalism, and foster community engagement. Education & awareness: As with the stormwater mural, public art can carry messages environmen- tal, historical, social in a way peo- ple engage with naturally, outside of classrooms or formal settings. Charlotte’s decision to treat the city as a canvas to embed art into transit, infrastructure, and every- day streets reflects a deeper belief: that a growing city does not have to lose its soul. Instead, with each mural, mosaic, wrap, or painted crosswalk, Charlotte builds char - acter, connection, and community. If you walk through the city pay - ing attention, you may discover that public art isn’t just something you visit it’s something you live with, every day. Do you have a piece of art in Charlotte you admire?