MUD Students to Present at Civic By Design Forum

Students in the School of Architecture Master of Urban Design program will present at the Civic By Design Forum on July 12, 5:30 to 6:30 pm, at Levine Museum of the New South. The students, under the direction of Assistant Professor Ming Chun-Lee, will present proposals on “Building a TRUE College Town through a Complementary ‘Town/Gown’ Relationship.” The event is free and open to the public.

The “college town” – a quintessentially American ideal city form – can provide a high quality of life, both for students of college-age and for faculty, alumni, and retirees who choose to live in these towns. The underlying physical fabric of the town where a college or university resides ought to consist of a set of physical components suitable in supporting “place-making,” which in turn transforms both the town itself and the campus it hosts together into a livable place for all. But what are those components necessary to build a long-lasting town/gown relationship that is beneficiary to both sides?

The Civic By Design Forum on July 12 will present

1. An overview of Charlotte’s University City as a testing ground for the potential role(s) of a student-centered local economy in sustainable urban development;
2. Presentations of proposals focused on envisioning student/community retail centers that would be the “student place” to hang out, socialize, etc.;
3. A discussion on why these centers would have to be welcoming to and supportive of the general community for them to be viable; and
4. Urban design strategies that could transform the University City area into a true college town.

For more information about Civic By Design, please visit the website.