Education:
BA in Environmental Studies, Minors in Urban Studies and Planning and Geography, UNC Chapel Hill (2017)
Master of Urban Design, UNC Charlotte (2018)
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
What are your primary responsibilities as an Associate Urban Designer and Planner with the City of Charlotte?
The Urban Design Center is a small team that bounces back and forth between three main tasks: consulting on city-led projects, placemaking, and traditional urban design projects. Covering those three categories, I am currently collaborating on the LYNX Silver Line’s Urban Design Framework, managing the 2020 Placemaking Grants, and getting ready to assist with corridor studies in the upcoming fiscal year.
Have you held any other positions besides your current one with the city?
Yes, I worked in the City’s Community Planning division on the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan for a year before moving to the City’s Urban Design Center. Before starting the MUD program at UNC Charlotte, I interned with the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, the Town of Chapel Hill, and LandDesign.
In what ways did your urban design degree prepare you for your work?
My urban design degree taught me how to effectively work in a team and learn from my peers. At the City, and with any employer, teamwork is an essential part of the job. After working on projects alone for most of undergrad, I found that I learned just as much from my classmates with different academic and cultural backgrounds as I did from the professors.
What special memories do you have from your time in that program?
The summer we spent abroad was an experience I’ll never forget. Especially the week we spent in the city of Ostrava (Czech Republic) studying socialist and post-socialist public space. The city was much smaller and sleepier than Charlotte, so we all had a good time getting to know the locals and keeping each other entertained after class.
What wish do you have for Charlotte? What is your strongest recommendation for our future as a city?
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how flexible and adaptable Charlotte can be. The Urban Design Center has been busier than ever assisting with outdoor dining, shared streets, street murals, and more. My strongest recommendation is that we keep this flexible and quick implementation/ testing mindset and apply it across City departments when things return to normal.