City. Building. Lab

Based in The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City, the City. Building. Lab (CBL) serves as the research and outreach engine for UNC Charlotte’s Master of Urban Design (MUD) program. We bridge the gap between academic theory and urban reality, exploring the historical and evolving forces that shape our cities.

Our work is defined by two core pillars. The first is “research with purpose.” We support the University’s urban mission by investigating the complex social, spatial and economic drivers of city life. Our faculty-led initiatives tackle diverse challenges, ensuring that our research remains both innovative and relevant to contemporary urbanism. The second is an “action-based” approach. The CBL is more than a think tank; we are a venue for “thinking and doing.” By operating as a clearinghouse for ideas and a site for applied research, we translate vision into practice.

Our Focus: In alignment with the David R. Ravin School of Architecture, our vision is rooted in:

Sustainable Design: Prioritizing environmental and community resilience at every scale.
Local-to-Global Urbanism: Applying global insights to local challenges to create vibrant, equitable spaces.
Temporal Evolution: Understanding how cities transform over time to better predict their future.

Who We Are

Situated in Uptown Charlotte, the City. Building. Lab (CBL) is an interdisciplinary hub that bridges the gap between academic research and public impact. As the outreach and research arm of the Master of Urban Design (MUD) program—housed within the David R. Ravin School of Architecture—the lab utilizes design inquiry and action-based research to pioneer innovative strategies for modern city building.

Our Vision

To lead and inspire progress in the fields of sustainable design, urban development and historic preservation through forward-thinking research and practice.

Our Mission

The CBL is defined by a commitment to “thinking and doing.” Our mission is to utilize sustainable urban, community and architectural design as catalysts for meaningful inquiry and positive social change. By doing so, we advocate for the creation of vibrant places and provide the blueprints for achieving resilient, sustainable cities.

Our Challenge

We address the multifaceted forces shaping the future of urban life, navigating a landscape defined by:

Technological Shift: Assessing the impact of emerging tech on the built environment.
Demographic Evolution: Responding to rapidly changing population dynamics.
Growth Patterns: Managing the complexities of shifting urban and suburban development.
Environmental Stewardship: Championing design solutions in the face of a changing climate.

Our Strategy

To meet these responsibilities, the City. Building. Lab operates through two primary channels:

Think: Advancing the field through rigorous historical and theoretical research.
Do: Executing public engagement and action-based initiatives that transform ideas into reality.

City. Building. Lab Faculty

Nadia M. Anderson

Associate Professor – Urban Design

Architecture

nander35@charlotte.edu

704-687-0117

CCB 1007

About

Ming-Chun Lee

Associate Professor; Graduate Program Director; Master in Urban Design; CBL Director

Architecture

Ming-Chun.Lee@charlotte.edu

704-687-0137

CCB 1009

About

Deborah Ryan

Professor of Architecture – Urban Design

Architecture

deryan@charlotte.edu

704-687-0123

CCB

About

Kyle Spence

Assistant Professor

Architecture

kspenc46@charlotte.edu

Storrs 244

About

Think

The City. Building. Lab pursues research initiatives that explore speculative, current and historical perspectives on urbanism, sustainable urban design, and development policies and practices. The lab examines these issues through various scales ranging from the neighborhood to the region and through a variety of initiatives ranging from classroom-based / student engaged partnerships, to grant funded regional policy initiatives, and to faculty-led urban design scholarship.

The Community Planning Workshop (CPW) is a cross-listed course offered by the Master of Urban Design Program and the Community Planning Track of the Master of Geography and Earth Sciences. The lab, in collaboration with CHARP (the Charlotte Action Research Project) often “seeds” action-based research initiatives through the CPW. Students deepen their understanding of the issues facing today’s community development specialists, community organizers, urban designers and planners, as well as policy makers through explorations of the causes and consequences of neighborhood decline, successful neighborhood revitalization, and the theoretical tensions in community planning. Through elective studios in the SoA and intermediate Urban Design studios, the lab engages collaborative research and design initiatives that explore issues impacting both Charlotte and cities generally. Issues of public import such as affordable urban housing, civic identity and sustainability often frame the speculative design investigations undertaken by the lab and its affiliated faculty.

Reimagining Chimney Rock in the wake of Hurricane Helene

The Spring 2026 semester was defined by a singular, urgent mission: the recovery of Chimney Rock, North Carolina. Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, students set out not just to restore what was lost, but to envision a future for the village that was both climate-resilient and economically vibrant. Throughout the term, the studio functioned as a laboratory for rural recovery. The students immersed themselves in the rugged landscape of Western North Carolina. This effort culminated in the creation of the “Community Design” Toolkit—a comprehensive framework of resilient strategies specifically tailored to the unique challenges of the Hickory Nut Gorge area.

The Frontiers of Placemaking: Crafting Community in a Connected World

Held on November 10, 2025, this symposium explored the evolving landscape of creative placemaking, examining how dynamic urban design shapes the identity, accessibility and vitality of our cities. Key topics of the symposium included Placemaking in an Era of Digital Nomadism, Digital Layers of Public Life, Community-Led Placemaking, Policy Tools for Placemaking, and Economic Development through Placemaking.

Charlotte _ Next: Olympic Studio

This architecture topic stuido focused upon the idea of Charlotte as a host Olympic city. This idea was a reponse to many current and past events. The United States Olympic Committee recently asked Charlotte, NC to consider hosting the 2024 Summer Games. Following on the success of the 2012 National Democratic Convention, Charlotte was in the running to host ESPN’s X Games. Events such as these present host cities with the opportunity to reinvent themselves for the world stage. For Charlotte, an Olympic event would signal its arrival as a global city. Speculating on this subject, students explored Charlotte’s history, morphology, and future developments (such as the new north line of the light rail) in order to determine how best to plan for a mega-event like the Olympics.

Do

The City.Building.Lab aims to demonstrate how its goals may impact our cities through speculative sustainable urban design and development proposals. The lab, often in collaboration with Master of Urban Design studios and the School of Architecture, pursues design innovation while also applying the creative expertise of the faculty and students to specific challenges through collaborative partnerships.

Parklets

Students participated in (Park)ing day – a global event where teams in cities around the world take over a parking space for a day to create a mini “parklet.” Students designed, built and programmed a parking space “parklet” in uptown Charlotte.

Little Free Libraries

As part of Charlotte’s Parking Day event, student teams were asked to build a Little Free Library – a box to be placed in a public place somewhere in the city which people can use to lend and borrow books. The students split into four groups, each group constructing their own library.

Alexander Street Park

A group of urban design and architecture students transformed the basketball courts at Alexander Street Park into vibrant street murals. The “tactical urbanism” project was developed in a partnership with the Charlotte Urban Design Center, an office in the City of Charlotte’s Planning, Design and Development department. The student group, representing Master of Urban Design (MUD) students and students in the UNC Charlotte chapter of Freedom By Design, were led by Professor Deb Ryan.

Have questions about City. Building. Lab? Contact our director, Ming-Chun Lee, at mlee137@charlotte.edu.

Mailing Address

The CBL is located in The Dubois Center at 320 East 9th Street Charlotte, NC 28202.