A Charlotte That Cares for You

Gambrell Forward

How do we make people feel cared for in Charlotte? It’s more than having your basic needs met. It’s about feeling like you belong here—respected for what you bring to the community and valued for who you are. But what makes people feel this way? What makes Charlotte a place where people don’t just live but love living?

To explore these questions, we partnered with Gehl, a world-renowned firm specializing in strengthening connections between people and the places they call home. Together, we asked: What would it take for more people to feel that Charlotte is not just a city, but a place that deeply values them? The topline recommendation? Create more experiences that inspire awe and wonder.

Dacher Keltner, a leading expert on awe, describes it as a force that connects us—something vast that reminds us we are part of something bigger. Gehl built on this, noting that awe shifts our focus from the self to the collective, reducing loneliness and fostering generosity, empathy, and collaboration. More of that, please!

But how do we design awe into everyday life? To answer this, we asked Gehl to study how care and well-being are part of the urban fabric of society, including models from the Nordic countries. We also listened to young people in Charlotte about their experiences and what could improve life here.

With these insights in hand, we asked a bold question:

What would Charlotte looklike as the world’s most caring city—where every decision is made with the intent to foster awe, wonder, and a sense of purpose? A place where—because you feel cared for—you know that the city values you and your potential.

The result: five big ideas that can shape a more connected, vibrant, and caring Charlotte. Everyone reading this report has a role in making these ideas a reality. We can’t wait to share them with you—and start the conversation.

Sincerely,

Brian Collier President, The Gambrell Foundation

Cultivating awe in the city 01

To intentionally design and build communities where people thrive, we want to better understand place-based experiences of awe and other positive emotional states.

A city that cares for you is a city that fosters moments of awe

Experiencing a

sense

of awe has the power to create a shared sense of belonging in cities

Awe as tool forurban transformation

Awe is a strong emotional response to encountering vastness orevents that disrupt a person’s usual frame of reference. As Jane Goodall says, “Awe is being amazed at things outside the self”. It’s sparked by moments that go beyond our usual experiences. Whether a breathtaking view in nature, a moving piece of art or architecture, an inspiring act of kindness, or witnessing someone else’s incredible talent.

Awe shifts the focus from the self to the collective — reducing feelings of loneliness and boosting generosity, empathy, and collaboration. Experiencing awe can lift people’s mood, increase life satisfaction, and even have lasting health benefits. The psychological, social, and even physiological benefits can radically transform our everyday lives from mere functional experiences into settings of inspiration and community, helping engender a lasting feeling that one is a valued member of society.

Designing cities with the 8 Wonders of Life

The 8 Wonders of Life is a framework about how people most commonly experience awe, developed by Dacher Keltner. This frameworkhas helped us imagine a city where streets breathe, trees glisten and parkbenches invite. Cities aren’t just a place to dwell; they’re places that call us to wonder, daring us to care. Incorporating awe into our cities means designing for compassion—creating spaces that urge us to slow down, to connect, to be moved.

When awe shapes our cities, public spaces become a welcoming and inclusive backbone to our communities. Streets, parks or commercial corridors spark kindness, laughter, or moments of revery. Such cities are more than the structures that inhabit them, they are shared ecosystems that uplift, heal, and create a shared sense of belonging. They pulse with life, calling each of us to lift, build, and care together.

Gehl worked with the primary researcher on Awe & wonder — Dacher Keltner, Director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab Alongside Dacher, the team adapted the Gehl methodologies that investigate the relationship between urban form and quality of life. Given the scope of the project, Gehl chose to focus on investigating four of the eight wonders of life through the methodology.

Beyond sparking positive social outcomes, awe fosters positive health outcomes too

Combating stress & anxiety with positive emotions

City life can bring its own quiet strains. People in urban areas can face higher rates of social isolation, sensory overload, and a constant sense of needing to stay on alert. These stressors aren’t just mentally exhausting — they’re also linked to poorer physical health.

Yet, science suggests a hopeful counterpoint: while negative emotions can wear on our health, positive emotions may help restore it, offering physical and mental benefits that ease some of the strain of urban life.

The scientific benefits of awe

In a 2015 study, researchers found that experiencing emotions like joy, contentment, and awe influenced inflammation markers, specifically proinflammatory cytokines, which drives inflammation in the body. People who feel positive emotions more often tend to show lower levels of these markers, especially when experiencing awe.

Awe, more than any other positive emotion, is strongly linked to reduced inflammation. It fosters feelings of connection, curiosity, and support, which may counteract the body’s inflammatory response. Notably, this effect doesn’t rely on personality or health factors, suggesting awe could help calm the nervous system—a valuable benefit for those in high-stress city environments.

People who report feelings of awe, joy, or amazement more often on a given day have lower levels of inflammation in the body.

The positive outcomes associated with awe have the power to transcend one’s individual experience, driving positive changes at the community and societal levels.

What happens when individuals experience awe?

What happens in an awe-infused community?

More open to new ideas

● Improved mood and life satisfaction

● Increased critical thinking skills and decision making patterns

● Long-term health impacts through less anxiety, loneliness and depression

More

interdependent-ness

● Recognition of the strength of others

● A sense of common humanity and a reduction in prejudice

● More collaborative

● See yourself as part of something larger

More kindness towards others

What happens on a societal level when awe is a part of the collective experience? 1

● More intune with the interrelated nature of life

● More discerning about arguments

● Decreased materialism

● Increased generosity

Cities are densely populated, connected places. They have a unique potential to bridge everyday experiences with ambitions for broader societal transformation.

By designing for care, everyday moments have the possibility to sparkpositive emotions like awe which are essential to making people feel cared for by their cities –both physiologically and psychologically.

A city that cares for you provides places, spaces, and moments where experiences of awe or other positive emotional states that can have broader impacts

To cultivate awe in cities, we begin with understanding the profoundly personal experiences that connect individuals to the world. Awe arises in the ordinary—a tree glimpsed during a run, or the sunrise on a daily commute. These moments, small yet transformative, have a cascade of positive effects on our communities. When thoughtfully designed for, such experiences create a collective foundation for well-being— empowering people to feel valued and live a great life.

Individual

moments…

Finding a place where you can engage in a hobby, that strengthens your passion and purpose in life

Community happenings

Feeling like you belong to a 7 5

Societal shifts

Feeling connected to your neighbors can inspire important actions such as rganizing as a neighborhood coalition or volunteering for a local cause.

What can we learn about making people

feel cared for from the cities where residents are the healthiest and happiest?

Centering

people in the urban planning process is integral to making cities where they feel cared for.

→ Residents of Nordic cities are ranked among the healthiest and happiest people in the world

In recent decades, Nordic cities have seen a shift in their urban planning dogmas — moving away from functional urbanism towards creating environments that support active, inclusive communities centered around improving people’s quality of life. What do nordic cities do to fostersuch positive outcomes through theirurban planning practices?

Measure impacts on people’s lived experience and reinforce policy by documenting insights at eye-level

City System

Start with policy rooted in a shared, ambitious vision

Implement supportive projects at the neighborhood / site scale

Empower individuals to take action and get involved

System Learning from the Nordics

Cities that care foryou have a foundation of systems and policies that prioritize shared values and ambitions

Nordic cities emphasize centering people in urban planning by prioritizing values such as community, inclusivity, and democracy. Across the Nordics, we can find cities that balance their development trajectories according to sustainability and competitiveness alongside functionality attractiveness. Cities in the Nordics have transitioned from being the result of a plan and ideology, to focusing on people and and how inclusive communities can be anchored locally.

A few key strategies are fundamental to this approach:

● Plan for inclusive and sustainable urban living through integrating affordable housing, cultural and social diversity, accessible public services, and green spaces

● Leverage cultural and social diversity as an asset in promoting urban vibrancy, social sustainability and an innovation mindset

● Plan for flexibility and adaptability to ensure future urban needs can be met

A Metropolis forPeople (2009-2015)

● By 2015, 80% of Copenhageners will be satisfied with the opportunities they have for taking part in urban life

● Increase amount of pedestrian traffic by 20%

● Increase amount of time Copenhageners spend in urban space by 20%

Policy documents set forth a series of action-oriented goals and metrics to support the city-wide vision 5 6

Co-Create CPH (2015-2025)

● 90% of Copenhageners will consider their neighborhood lively

● More than 50% of residents will consider Copenhagen a city with an edge that celebrates diversity and individual differences

● 75% of residents will consider Copenhagen a ‘green’ city

City

Guided by ambitious people-oriented policy, Nordic cities implement projects that caterto diverse community needs

Planning in Nordic cities increasingly follows a robust system of utilizing citizen input, with the aim of centering residents’ perspectives in decision-making. The result is a human-centered public realm network, capital infrastructure investments and smaller local programs that promote well-being, social engagement and accessibility. This evolving standard of mutual trust between government and residents creates resilient neighborhoods where collective action and government support combine to address social, economic, and environmental needs effectively.

City development trends unique to the Nordics:

● The consideration of inclusive public space is a key component of all Nordic city development projects

● Public space is considered to be a platform for all of city life to occur, whether recreational, cultural, commercial or civic

● A wide diversity of people, experiences and opportunities is designed for through the development of multi-functional spaces, an emphasis on informal spaces, and a rethinking of how amenities cluster to create hubs in neighborhoods

Learning from the Nordics

Projects implemented at the neighborhood scale demonstrate a new urban future

Before After

Enghave Plads renovation

This neighborhood plaza was redesigned to support a new metro stop, yet the outcome did not meet local expectations. A transparent feedbackloop informed by user habits resulted in a second responsive iteration, introducing native planting additional public seating, and garbage bins shaped to accommodate pizza boxes.

Områdefornyelse (area renewal)

Revitalized neighborhood public spaces, fostering inclusion and enhancing local identity through co-funded, community-driven five-year plans based on needs, focused on sustainability and resilience.

Nørreport  Station redesign

The redesign of Denmark’s busiest transit hub was an evidence- based design process, using desire line mapping to ensure the resultant design reflected the ways people actually moved and wanted to use space around the station. Perceptions of safety improved immediately upon reopening.

Desire line mapping

Building a reciprocal culture of participation and integration

Nordic cities cultivate a strong culture of participation by providing extensive access to associations and public institutions that empower engagement at many different levels. From sports clubs and cultural organizations to libraries and local forums, these spaces foster collaboration, dialogue, and shared responsibility. Studies indicate that around 60–80% of Nordic citizens are members of at least one association, such as local choirs, sports or sauna clubs, or civic groups such as a neighborhood association.

The network of accessible, well-funded institutions encourages citizens of all ages to actively participate in their communities. It reinforces trust and democratic values for communities, and also builds individual people’s sense of self identity and belonging.

Residents are encouraged to contribute actively to the city’s evolution due to highly transparent and centralized communication processes of ongoing projects, renewal processes and programs.The way in which residents are kept informed and their input is integrated empowers people to shape their communities through shared values and trust.

Learning from the Nordics

Danish

models of active citizenship, transform opportunities forlocal engagement

INSP- Roskilde, Denmark

INSPis a unique community space housed in an old factory building. Founded in 2011, it has diverse activities, including a soup kitchen, apprenticeships, creative workshops, and support for small startups. INSPis run as a socio-economic enterprise with 350 members.

Partnering closely with the local municipality, they collaborate on initiatives like a recovery program for mentally vulnerable youth, with municipal staff even relocating offices to INSP. Their success has drawn interest from other cities and organizations eager to learn from their model, prompting INSPto explore expansion.

SagerderSamler- Aarhus, Denmark

A platform that encourages and enables active citizenship. Founded in 2012, Sager der Samler is an association where ‘everyday activists’ create change based on 3 principles: starting from your own life situation, do things with (not for) people, and focus on actions that are possible without permission or funding.

There have been over 50 initiatives, such as ‘morning politics’, ‘walking friends’, using the bicycle to make happier and more sustainable streets, and dignified meeting spaces for non-housed fathers and their children. Some initiatives such as ‘Social Health’ has grown into a nation-wide organisation and has received large funding from Novo NordiskFoundation.

Backto the system

Impact is measured based on people’s lived experience to demonstrate and reinforce investment in collective well-being

Nordic cities evaluate the tangible impacts of urban planning on people’s daily lives to ensure investments lead to meaningful improvements in people’s well-being.This people-centered approach captures the social, health, and environmental outcomes of projects, rather than solely relying on economic or infrastructural metrics. Prioritizing lived experiences means cities are ensuring policies enhance quality of life, strengthen trust, and foster a sense of belonging among residents.

Commitment to evaluation reflects a broader alignment of urban development with sustainability, inclusivity, and public health goals. For example, urban plans are assessed for their ability to promote active lifestyles, improve mental health, and strengthen social ties. By creating a culture of data collection on how residents interact with their environment, Nordic cities adopt a dynamic, responsive approach to urban development. Ongoing evaluation tracks progress and also serves as a feedback loop, ensuring future initiatives address emerging challenges and remain centered on improving everyday life for residents.

Learning from the Nordics

Outcomes at eye-level demonstrate how Nordic planning enhances individual and collective well-being

In Copenhagen, the collective impact of the city’s transformation is measured and communicated backto residents through documents such as Copenhagen City of Cyclists and the Urban Life Account. These reports provide valuable data on how people use and respond to implemented projects, illustrating both current outcomes and future city planning goals. This transparent approach helps residents understand how the city's growth is directly linked to their quality of life.

Through ongoing evaluation and iterative development practices, the holistic impact of new projects on local society is continuously assessed. For example, findings from Copenhagen’s urban planning efforts show that:

● 49% of all trips to workor school in Copenhagen are by bike

● 97% of Copenhageners are satisfied with the cycling conditions in the city

● Copenhageners spend an average of 1.37 hours a weekin squares and shopping streets

A caring city in the Nordics looks and feels like

this.

Placing parking underground to prioritize space for people

Understanding Charlotte 02

A Gambrell Foundation and Gehl research initiative using innovative participatory methods to understand the perspectives of young people on their urban environments and how change-makers can support experiences of awe.

What makes people feel cared for in Charlotte

Feeling connected to nature

A simple invitation

Moments of surprise, whimsy and color

The social value of food places

Space to gather

Feeling connected to the largercommunity of Charlotte

Peaceful pathways to walkand bike

Shared moments

Partnering with youth to explore how people feel cared for in Charlotte

Youth perspectives are almost always assumed and rarely activated in traditional planning processes.Yet, they are among the most frequent users of civic spaces like parks, recreation centers, and libraries. Their dependence on caregivers and institutions shapes their mobility patterns gives them a unique perspective on the city. Research shows that by the age of nine, people’s habits and behaviors solidify, making adolescence a crucial time for forming impressions and exploring possibilities.

Partnering with young people gave us a unique insight into Charlotte. Their digital fluency and creativity allowed us to experiment with new participatory methods, seamlessly integrating technology into the project. Key takeaways include:

● Young people are quickto adopt new technologies and are interested in customizing them based on their needs

● Their demanding schedules (school, work, etc.) and access to transit shapes how they can participate in projects

Studies have found that children and adolescents are naturally more open-minded than adults, making them particularly receptive to new ideas and experiences. This openness, combined with their reliance on city systems, creates a distinctive lens through which youth experience their surroundings.

● Partnering with local youth organizations to facilitate activities helped ensure participants were safe and that there were open lines of communication

A cohort of youth citizen scientists documented their everyday perceptions of Charlotte’s

neighborhoods

Defining the research questions

Before mobilizing a cohort of young citizen scientists, a set of guiding questions was established to help them engage with the project by sharing their daily lives and aspirations for the future.

Documenting local youth’s urban experiences

We connected with eight local organizations to help mobilize 40 local 14-22 year olds — sharing prompts with the young participants to document their daily rhythms and emotions in their local communities using tagged photos.

Co-analyzing data to generate insights

Together, we held a series of co-analysis workshops in-person and digitally to distill the citizen scientists’ learnings and tell meaningful stories based on their lived experience.

Peaceful

Lively

Peaceful

While the photovoice method is best suited to understand individual lived experiences, there were some trends across the data

1,129 photos were taken by 40 citizen scientists across Charlotte between August 8October12, 2024

Photos were tagged with overwhelmingly positive feelings. 73% of all photos were tagged with positive sentiments clustered in places such as Uptown and South Park, while 11% were tagged with negative sentiments concentrated in places such as Pleasant Valley and Matthews.

Participants largely associated the same vibes with social and nature spaces welcoming, calm, lively, playful and beautiful being the most prominent tags across the locations they visited.

Photo location by sentiment

Layering big data with stories of people’s lived experience to contextualize and highlight nuances in what we found

Big data

Why do we collect it?

What types of data do we collect?

Neighborhood-scale context

To understand place-based conditions

Sidewalkquality and walking experience, microclimate conditions, facade quality

Local actors and change-makers across a number of sectors shared personal, professional and historical context

Neighborhood walking tours

We went on five neighborhood walks across different

Focus groups with local organizations

In addition to the groups who led neighborhood walks, we held focus groups including LISC, the City of Charlotte Department of Planning, Design & Development, and UNC Charlotte Urban Institute to understand how this workcan best support ongoing initiatives.

Convening Charlotte change-makers

We hosted the ‘Gambrell Foundation Workshop on Awe and Hobbies in Charlotte’ to uncover locations where communities find awe across Charlotte and to envision a future where the built environment can be a key platform to

Using data processing to translate complex data into actionable insights

A range of methods supported the effort to make sense of a complex set of data including photos, annotations, voice recordings, text, and maps.

We gathered data from the City of Charlotte, US Census Bureau, Google Places API and UNC Charlotte to identify patterns using spatial and unsupervised machine learning clustering.

We identified trends in how people feel by processing workshop recordings using Hume AI to analyze sentiments across 53 different emotions.

We analyzed over 1,000 photos through correlation matrices using tags, ranked lists, and othervisualisation techniques to find general patterns in how people view the built environment and specific elements. Leveraging the ChatGPT API we classified images based on their content to find patterns in the built environment's elements and how people annotated them.

We heavily relied on analogue analysis, using thematic sorting and cross-referencing sources to frame our understanding and retain the complexity of people's lived experiences.

What did we learn about how people experience a caring Charlotte

and their existing barriers to awe?

The quality of the built environment is directly correlated with people’s ability to feel safe and wander

Many design features, like a lackof nighttime lighting and narrow sidewalks on roads with fast traffic, lead young people to feel unsafe in public space which hinders their abilities to spontaneously explore the city. Across the city today, these conditions have an inequitable impact on certain groups based on where they live or spend time, impacting how they may experience awe.

Safety shapes belonging for young people in Charlotte

Presence of others makes people feel safe

People feel safer when others are around, when they see signs of human activity and when there are public activations happening.

Percentage of photos with associations of feeling safe oranxious

Photos without people

Nighttime lighting and street activity enhances safety

Poor neighborhood lighting conditions and less people on the street after darkreinforces a sense that one is not safe.

When there's a lot of people around, you feel safer because there's other people there to see if anything happens or goes on.

– Kacie 17, on what makes her feel safe

When it is dark and there isn't a lot of light and no one around the neighbourhood feels creepy.

– Zachary 17, talking about a street that feels unsafe, rundown, anxious.

Proximity to traffic raises anxiety

Being nearby high speed, noisy vehicular traffic is a stressful and insecure experience for many.

55% of all vehicular street photos are described with the feeling ‘Anxious’

described as "peaceful," and are are located in traffic-free areas. 80% of these walkways are punctuated by nature

Seeing signs of care is important

Places that show signs of maintenance and care make people feel comfortable to stay. When that isn’t present, people do not feel welcome and don’t want to spend time in those places.

SOURCE: Data from Eye Level City participatory walkmapping and analysis workshop with youth citizen scientist cohort. Image classification using the ChatGPT API

Participants associate vehicular streets with negative qualities

I feel safe here. There's an older man working on his house, there's a lady gardening…It's chill.You can tell people take care and the fences feel like a sign that they care, not a sign that you’re not welcome here.

– Sonia 21, in a discussion about what elements signal whether she feel welcome or not in an area.

Youth Highlight: Proximity to Traffic

Feeling safe is foundational to exploring. High volumes of traffic and perceptions of crime impede people’s ability to feel secure wandering. This is especially relevant for young people in Charlotte, who have limited mobility options, and often rely on caretakers to drive them.

There's not any barrier between the sidewalk and the street. Even if very clearly like you can walk here, you don't feel like you're supposed to be walking there, and that feels unsafe in the like, oh, no one else is around. Fear Disappointment

SOURCE: Highlights of emotions from quotes on this page and the following pages comes from analysis based on HumeAI sentiment analysis across 53 different emotions.

Top: Workshop with Freedom Schools Bottom left: Sidewalkcrossing over a bridge in West Charlotte

Commercial hubs, where

you must pay to stay, act

as town squares

The lackof free and accessible spaces to gather limits the public imagination of where they can go and spend time. As a result, commercial hubs, concentrated in a few areas, serve as the primary places forsocial connection. The design features common in these areas, like colorful furnishing, public art, and the presence of other people positively influence youth to gravitate to commercial hubs. This further reinforces a sense of shared belonging and delight that is often difficult to find elsewhere.

Commercial hubs act as town squares

Food places are social connectors

Food halls, malls or commercial streets are serving as social hubs. Are food places the town square for Charlotte’s young people?

Distribution of tags describing the experience of the food places:

Photos of non-food places

Photos of food places

The food truck is lit up, there's always people there, and the food is really good. They have music, and you make friends there because people start talking to you in the line. This area would be sketchy otherwise, but the food truck is a pillar [of the community].

– Ava 14, in a discussion about safety.

Commercial districts as public spaces

Areas that are activated by commercial activity or events are landmarks in youth minds. These frequently visited areas limit where people think they can go for fun and socializing.

56% of the youth citizen scientists said they would take someone to visit a food place or retail area if they visited Charlotte for the first time. They listed these favorite destinations most often:

Inequitable distribution of food clusters

Food clusters are concentrated to specific neighborhoods, creating disparities in access to these social hubs. Some neighborhoods are missing these vital ‘town squares’.

Despite the fact that people don't live nearby food places, they are the most visited places and hold the most meaning for people

Desire fora diversity of social spaces

People crave additional social spaces beyond food and retail locations. The spaces that do exist and serve those functions are often hidden or are perceived as uninviting.

‘Pay to stay’ places dominate people’s mental maps of what there is to do in Charlotte, but the limiting nature of pay to stay impacts accessibility for some and dictates how long they can stay for.

Map shows an 800 meter(~0.5 mile) walking distance to food & beverage clusters.

The ecological gardens are kind of hidden. They’re off in the corner somewhere and it’s hard to get there. But a stranger wouldn't know to visit them. And if they did, they certainly wouldn't stop there because its not inviting.

– Sonia 21, “What is a photo that best represents the word ‘welcoming’to you?”

SOURCE: Data from Eye Level City participatory walkmapping and analysis workshop with youth citizen scientist cohort. Map based on data from Google Places API and US Census Bureau. Image classification using the ChatGPT API

NoDa

Camp North End

Youth Highlight:Youth pay a high price just to hang out

Young people gravitate to commercial hubs that are safe and flexible public spaces. However, these ‘public’ spaces are pricey and unequally distributed, creating an access barrier of time and monetary cost.

There are spaces where people come together, but they cost a lot of money, or you've got to drive to get there and pay $20, or some of us don't feel like we belong in some of the spaces that we're all really excited about. I think it reflects one of the fundamental kind of struggles for Charlotte, which is you go uptown to work or you go uptown to eat, but the places that mean something to you are back in a neighborhood where you're resegregated.

Annoyance Disappointment

What is the cost of socialising over one meal in the places most frequently mentioned by young people (and others)?

Calculations based on $7.25/hour - the North Carolina minimum wage as of 2024 according to livingwage.mit.edu

Optimist Hall NoDa

Nature sets the stage for experiencing awe in Charlotte but

it isn’t

equally accessible to all

Experiences of nature are vital for many and have a big impact on people’s experiences of the built environment. Many of Charlotte’s residents feel inspired by the calming and pleasant aspects of nature and want more out of natural spaces, including easy access to nature in their communities as part of theireveryday routines.

Nature is vital for Charlotteans to experience awe

People desire immersive nature experiences

Nature spaces elicit positive emotions from nearly all youth citizen scientists. Nature in different forms makes people feel welcome and joyful.

I was alone in nature and that felt really peaceful. I could hear the birds and take it in. I think that's what made it feel so welcoming, all of the flowers, the sounds…and it was pretty well defined.You could tell where it started and where it ended.

– Kacie 17, in a discussion about calm, peaceful and inviting spaces

I love that you can hear the nature. So quiet and so loud at the same time.

– Damayia 17, in a discussion about calm spaces in Charlotte

Experience shapes perception of nature

The experience of nature spaces is shaped by visitors' interactions with nature in their own neighborhoods. For some, wild nature feels unkempt and neglected, while for others, it appears refreshing and inviting.

SOURCE: Data from Eye Level City participatory walkmapping and analysis workshop with youth citizen scientist cohort. Map based on data from City of Charlotte Open Data Portal and US Census Bureau

I feel like they could do a better job [with the landscape]. Why not just at least rake up the weeds from that area? It just feels neglected and like no one cares about this space.

– Trevon 17, in a discussion about wild nature in Camp North End

Beautiful lights

– Marley 14 , reacting to Camp North End

Differences in real and perceived access

There is a discrepancy between what green space is technically available to people and how accessible nature spaces feel to people.

My neighborhood parks are often overgrown or unkempt. It’s disappointing and doesn’t feel like somewhere I want to spend time in, or made for me to be there.

– Abel, 17, in a discussion about nature

People appreciate when nature spaces can host theireveryday activities

People desire everyday programming in nature spaces. From seating to recreational programs, they are eager for opportunities to integrate time spent in nature into their daily routines.

68% of Charlotteans live in walking distance to a parkor green space, yet people report feeling like they don’t have access to the kind of nature environments they want.

This is an area in the community where family and friends come together for family time and picnics. It’s peaceful, vibrant and welcoming.

– Ikeyla 17, tagging from a park photo

People use this place for cookouts and family gatherings. I think it is perfect for both.

– Christopher 17, tagging from a park photo

Old Providence

Sugar creek

Youth Highlight: A desire to experience nature

Young people envision a life where peaceful nature is just a few steps away —where thriving, activated green spaces is accessible in their neighborhoods. They seek connection with nature close to home, without the need to journey across Charlotte to find it.

“This is my place. It's gonna be like a one stop shop. It's gonna have a garden and green area, with a grill zone that would have picnic tables, and a lot of shade. It has a kids playground and a gym with big windows so you can still see outside. And then a kids playground, an area for dogs and a pool area, all shaded!”

I feel like a space like this in this neighbourhood would be kind of good because we have a park but it’s boring. I mean, it's a lake and stuff like that, but that's not fun. But I feel like if you add more tools and activities it would be better and, like, more inviting.

Enthusiasm Disappointment

– Chanel, 22. Eye Level City Workshop activity where participants were asked to design their dream public space in Charlotte.

Cultural markers contribute to a sense of place and the feeling of being part of something bigger than oneself

Charlotte has signs of culture and history, but these signifiers are fading in pace with development. This is leading to a lackof collective identity necessary for feelings of belonging and awe. Signifiers like legacy restaurants, murals, or landmarks that have been around for a long time play an important role in promoting feelings of civic pride. Experiencing these elements in one’s community promotes a feeling of representation amongst residents.

Cultural markers contribute to a sense of place

Art in public space evokes a variety of strong responses

Art is appreciated by most people, but it doesn’t always appear to relate to local identities; therefore, it can feel tokenistic and exclusionary.

Manufactured environments can feel welcoming, but people recognize a warm atmosphere is not always organic, leading to a sense of disconnection:

“With graffiti, it's nice to see a sign of life on a giant wall of concrete, it's like, oh, someone else lives here. I feel like the city tries to emulate that with the light rail art or some of the murals in the city, and those are nice, and I actually really do appreciate them, but it doesn't feel like the same kind of thing. It’s not organic, it didn’t come out of that community. It wasn't created by someone from here. It just feels manicured. Like it's constructed in a way that is supposed to make you feel like ‘this is a neighbourhood’. It’s not authentic.”

– Arianna 19, in a conversation about feeling welcomed in the city.

Historic markers are disappearing

Historical indicators of the city’s heritage are disappearing, erasing important signals and stories of the community’s culture and identity.

I

What is special about Charlotte? It

socialize with friends and family

Charlotte has a lot of history that's told typically just by word of mouth, and the rest of the history gets washed away in construction. It would be awesome to see that in murals around the city, in popular areas but our neighbourhoods too.

– Lea 29, in a conversation about investment in certain neighborhoods and not others.

SOURCE: Data from Eye Level City participatory walkmapping and analysis workshop with youth citizen scientist cohort, Pollfish survey, Awe & Hobbies Workshop recordings, US Census Bureau.

People are looking fora sense of civic mindedness

We heard a great deal of pride for local neighborhoods, but did not hear many stories of a collective identity of Charlotte.

Participants expressed frustration that certain areas of Charlotte are “beautified” and given “a lot of attention” while their own neighborhoods don't receive the same level of care and feel "neglected" or "unsafe" because they lack investments.

I feel safer in neighborhoods when I feel an attachment to its history. But every day I feel that history slipping through my fingers, because it’s being pushed out by change and new investments.

–

It’s difficult to become a REAL Charlottean – Awe & Hobbies workshop All

and what holds meaning for our communities are within that community. There's no cross-pollination between the other communities or across the

Youth Highlight: Looking fora sense of civic mindedness

Young people across different groups highlighted inequalities in their neighborhoods and across Charlotte, expressing empathy and a desire for change, or frustration when issues affect their own communities.

I live in West Charlotte and in my neighborhood, a lot of people unfortunately don't have a car. So, like, bus transportation would be really good. I'm not gonna lie and be very transparent, this area isn't the best part of Charlotte, and a lot of people are not comfortable over there, but that is where they can afford [to live] right now. My side of the neighborhood is pretty decent, but the other side is very different and they don’t get the same experiences. So I feel like it’s important for the whole neighbourhood to have a safe place where they can go, and get support and stuff like that. Like, just being able to walk out their house and not feel worried. There should be a rec center with a pool for people to be able to exercise and enjoy themselves. And also…I don't really even know what to call it, but, like, a center where people can go for support. Like with housing or to get food and stuff like that. A place where there are resources, that would be really, really good.

Enthusiasm Disappointment Empathetic pain

Out of 3 participants in West Charlotte, none tookphotos in their neighbourhood. One participant explained that she did not feel safe to do the exercise in her own neighborhood.

West Charlotte (28208)

Participant photos locations

Nurturing moves for a city that cares for you

Recommendations and inspiration for targeted interventions, policies, and programs as a pathway to improve people’s access to public and civic experiences of awe and their ability live greatly in Charlotte.

What might Charlotte look like

if it was the world’s

most caring

city,

where

decisions are guided by an intent to foster awe?

A caring Charlotte will champion awe at every scale

Forindividuals

A place where people see themselves reflected in their city. Where they are inspired to take action and get involved. Where people have a sense of purpose and meaning fostering a culture of shared ownership and stewardship amongst individuals.

Forcommunities

A place where neighborhood level initiatives promote care not only enhancing community well-being but also encouraging people to contribute and invest in their neighbors — sparking community prosperity and economic mobility by supporting social interaction, business growth, and equitable access to resources.

Forsociety

Acity that embraces awe-driven urban planning sets a global standard for how thoughtful design can foster kindness toward people and the planet. By creating a network of awe filled spaces that connect people, it cultivates a culture of compassion and collaboration—serving as a powerful model for cities around the world.

Uplift awe experiences at the local level

Inclusive mobility without barriers

Many

actors play a role in planting and nurturing the seeds of a great city

A wide range of change-makers and actors, from grassroots organizers, community members, public space managers, to elected officials, are integral to supporting how people experience, participate in and embody their the city.

Through this project, we’ve identified a series of key moves that could improve people’s access to awe experiences across Charlotte and, together, foster a culture of city-wide care.

A teen with a local youth group who has a big dream for a neighborhood space or program

A funder capable of scaling and sustaining new, innovative projects in the city

A non-profit dedicated to maintaining, operating, and caring for spaces for youth that is fundraising and/or looking for a partner

A

local advocate who has rallied the community around improving the built environment

A property developer curious about new models that can differentiate their projects and attract tenants

A local policymaker who is ready to revolutionize the way we plan our cities

Cultivate a culture of special events & moments of collective effervescence

The experience of awe is often described as a moment — something special that touches us and expands ourperception of the world. This nurturing move is about energizing and rewriting how people perceive life in Charlotte. Creating a tapestry of unique events that transform Charlotte's everyday spaces into places where people can have new experiences, will provide a foundation for social connection, belonging and memories.

Cultivate a culture of special events & moments of collective effervescence

Design a programming strategy to activate neighborhood-level spaces

Workclosely with local community groups and advocates, co-create a city-wide programming strategy to activate neighborhood spaces with events like pop-up markets, art shows, and performances. By uplifting and spotlighting neighborhood-level institutions, cultural moments will become more accessible to more people.

Reclaim

underused spaces foreveryday activation

Support

a donationbased concert series

Create a citywide summer street awe festival

Transform underutilized urban spaces into venues for community gatherings, workshops, and spontaneous activities. This will reposition underused places into dynamic destinations that invite interaction and creativity. In doing so, Charlotte can expand its networkof engaging public areas that inspire participation.

Launch a concert series that brings world-class musicians to a rotation of neighborhoods across the city. The series should showcase diverse talent, and channel proceeds to support local organizations — creating memorable cultural experiences and strengthening neighborhood ties.

Organize a street awe festival, featuring interactive art, performances, and creative workshops, to provide expanded opportunities for artistic expression and connection — encouraging meaningful engagement with the city while fostering excitement, discovery, and communal joy across Charlotte.

Social connection, neighborhood activation

Neighborhood activation, civic participation

Neighborhood activation, arts & culture, social connection

Neighborhood activation, arts & culture, social connection

Nurturing move #1

Cultivate a culture of special events & moments of collective effervescence

Summer& WinterStreets in Stockholm

A program that transforms select city streets into pedestrian-friendly zones with seasonal activities, markets, and spaces for gathering, fostering a culture of shared experiences and

Oslo Urban Saunas

A unique, communal sauna experience along the waterfront, creating an inviting space where people can relax, connect, and enjoy shared

Daily Tous le Jours

A a large-scale installation that invites the public to act in a collective film projected on building walls. The project uses underutilized public spaces across Montreal and provides new opportunities for people to gather and interact.

Charlotte Spotlight

Empower young people to advocate for projects that are important to them

A critical piece of leading a great life is feeling great about yourself and the gifts you have to offer. This nurturing move is about creating an ecosystem of spaces, places, and programs that empower Charlotte’s brilliant young people. By providing platforms for young people to engage and follow their passions, Charlotte is investing in their own future.

Empower young people to advocate for projects that are important to them

Start and support an incubator program foryoung awe-makers

Launch an incubator program for young leaders to test innovative ideas and activate public spaces. Provide mentorship, resources, and low-cost entry points for creative projects, fostering a wide range of skills and sparking interest in the power of design to create spaces that act as a platform for experiencing awe.

Build

awareness to

connect emotion to city planning

Invest in spaces foryouth to do things, make things, and just be

Design an international study tourforyouth

Create city-wide campaigns and workshops for youth to explore their emotional ties to Charlotte through storytelling, art installations, and events. Broaden the uptake of the participatory approach modeled as part of this project’s research — where emotions act as an integral input to planning and designing the city and potential futures for Charlotte’s communities.

Fund and maintain accessible arts and creativity spaces, such as makerspaces and studios, open up to 18 hours daily to empower youth to develop skills and enjoy safe, creative environments where they can also build social connections and have fun. These spaces should offer healthy food, supervised activities, and engaging programming, like hackathons, poetry slams, and nostalgia night for teens.

Develop an international study tour for youth to visit cities known for urban design, arts, and community development. Exposure to diverse ideas will inspire participants and bring new concepts backto Charlotte, enhancing local engagement and innovation while building local capacity.

Skill-building, mentorship, neighborhood activation, empowerment

Civic participation, belonging, neighborhood activation

Skill-building, social connection, empowerment

Social connection, mentorship, empowerment

Empower young people to advocate for projects that are important to them

Stockholm School Routes

An initiative that engages youth to co-design and promote safe, engaging routes for walking or biking to school

BostonYouth Council

A city-led initiative that collaborates with youth to amplify their voices, involves them in policy discussions, and engages them in community projects to foster leadership and civic participation

Artetik: From the Art

An initiative that leverages creative expression to engage communities, fostering connections and dialogue through collaborative art projects and cultural events by encouraging visitors to reflect on their emotions towards art

DifferenceMakers CLT

A dynamic initiative within Communities In Schools (CIS) that seeks to empower the voices of our youth, create opportunities for economic mobility, and develop an intergenerational networkof support

Charlotte

Spotlight

Support institutions to think outside of the box

Institutions animate cities, they hold a powerful platform to engage, tell stories, bring many groups of people together, and shape the collective imagination. This nurturing move is about innovative partnerships with institutions to boost Charlotte’s civic pride and build capacity among local change-makers and foster collaboration, inspire action, and strengthen the city’s cultural and social fabric.

Inspire and facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration

Promote partnerships across sectors to help actors avoid duplication of efforts, competition for funding, and lackof unified strategy. Instead, focus on bolstering a cross-sectoral dialogue that fosters more information sharing and establishes clearer pathways towards common goals and visions for the future.

Invest in world-class architecture forcommunity resources

Support local institutions in developing iconic architectural projects that serve as hubs for public life and culture. Investing in design-forward community spaces can inspire pride and bring people together. What’s more, initiatives like an artistic research residency can build local capacity and inspire creative solutions to local challenges.

Bring existing programs outside to make them accessible in a new way

Support measuring and evaluating programs forthe ‘soft’ impact

Expand the reach of current community-led programming by showcasing them within outdoor venues —highlighting the city’s intrinsic, yet often overlooked, connection to nature. By reimagining traditional offerings in these ‘new’ venues, there is an opportunity to enliven existing public space assets with new forms of public life.

Create frameworks to assess the 'soft' impact of cultural and public programs, such as community well-being and social cohesion. Supporting institutions in evaluating their initiatives helps refine approaches and demonstrate the value of creative public interventions while ensuring continuous improvement and sustained investment in impactful programming.

Nurturing move #3

Support institutions to think outside of the box

The Participatory Museums

Nina Simon's workreimagines cultural spaces by inviting visitors to actively engage and co-create exhibits

Discovery Center, Philadelphia

Initially established as a audubon education center, programming adopted a responsive approach by expanding to also address gun violence prevention — adapting to meet the needs of the local community

Walton Family Design Excellence Program, Northwest Arkansas Commissions innovative architectural and landscape projects — creating inspiring, functional spaces that enhance learning and foster community engagement

The Bowl at Ballantyne

The Bowl serves as a "cultural magnet" for the Charlotte region, attracting people from across the city and beyond. It aims to be the "new living room, kitchen, and concert hall" of the Ballantyne area.

Charlotte Spotlight

Uplift awe experiences at the local level

Awe is accessible everywhere. It doesn’t always require having a new experience but it does require a new perspective. This nurturing move is about inhabiting the everyday with a new set of glasses. Supporting local communities in engaging with in their built environment can boost a sense of pride and belonging across Charlotte’s communities.

Create a Charlotte collaboration cohort

Invest

in local gems & lesser known destinations

Create a small business incubator& provide ongoing support

Invest in a participatory program that empowers people to rewild theirlawns

Create a cohort connecting community leaders from different neighborhoods with common values. The cohort will facilitate networking, identify synergies, and encourage joint efforts to amplify each project’s impact. Strengthening these relationships will build a supportive network advancing shared community goals.

Leverage Charlotte’s unique local assets and hidden gems to encourage residents to find awe in unexpected places within their neighborhood. This reduces the need for travel and enriches community life by highlighting areas beyond the well-known corridors. Investing in these places may foster local pride and deepen connections to a wide range of neighbors.

Establish a small business incubator focused on supporting immigrant-run businesses and simplifying the startup process for newcomers. This program would offer resources, mentorship, and financial guidance to help new businesses thrive. Sustained support diversifies the local economy and creates vibrant community hubs.

Launch a program offering financial support, resources, and educational materials for residents to transform lawns into native plant habitats. This will promote biodiversity, enhance local ecosystems, and foster environmental stewardship — all while empowering residents to engage with nature in new and innovative ways.

Skill-building, mentorship Civic pride, belonging, neighborhood activation

Skill-building, mentorship, economic development

Capacity building, empowerment, stewardship

Uplift awe experiences at the local level

Startup Refugees Helsinki

A Finnish social innovation initiative that supports refugees and immigrants in building businesses and finding employment by providing mentorship, resources, and a strong support network

A policy document that outlines a collaborative vision for urban development, inviting citizens, businesses, and institutions to participate in shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant city

TreesCharlotte

A local non-profit growing, diversifying and stewarding the city’s iconic urban forest. Trained volunteers and science-based programs teach residents about the value of trees and how to plant and care for them.

Charlotte Spotlight

Invest in inclusive mobility without barriers

One of the foundational elements of a city that cares for you is the ease of movement and a high quality experience of getting around. This nurturing move is about leveling up Charlotte’s mobility experience. Investing in equitable distribution of sustainable, sociable transportation options enables Charlotteans to safely wander, explore, and rediscover their city in a new way.

Youth recreation and culture shuttle bus

Let the Greenways Grow

Make it ease for young people to access recreational and cultural offerings of Charlotte. Create a shuttle bus program and route that that picks up young people at central meeting points across different Charlotte neighborhoods and runs to destinations like local rec centers, cultural centers, and nature spaces. Unlockthe teenagers potential to engage with the city without dependence on caregivers.

Build on the incredible asset Charlotte has that is already supporting active mobility. Strengthen the connections between greenways, Develop a legible, destination-based wayfinding strategy, and Activate provide places to pause with seating, local food and beverage offers, and nature-play places. Level up the greenway from a recreation-only space to an everyday asset.

A World Class Transit System for a World Class City

Today, 84% of commuters get to workby driving alone. If Charlotteans cannot rely on the system to deliver consistency, convenience and comfort, they will not choose it. Build on Charlotte’s transit system by increasing reliability, efficiency, and expanding route coverage to make getting around Charlotte an efficient, environmental and social experience that raises the quality of life standard.

Set up a Mobility Lab

Civic pride, belonging, empowerment

Enabling wandering, neighborhood activation, social connection, active recreation, sustainability

Enabling wandering, civic pride, sustainability, social connection

To create behavior change in mobility patterns, create a Charlotte Mobility Lab: a creative applied research organization that innovates and tests ideas on the ground to enhance experience of getting around Charlotte without a single-occupied vehicle. The Lab is where the city’s mobility team, UNCC students/researchers, new mobility companies, neighbors, and artists can collaborate on developing, monitoring, and adjusting Charlotte’s mobility experience.

Capacity building, sustainability

Invest in inclusive mobility without barriers

The Gentle Helpers

Ljubljana's electric-powered vehicles referred to as Kavalirs (Gentle Helpers) are a free city centre public transport option. Kavalir vehicles are primarily meant for elderly and mobility-impaired individuals.You hail them like a taxi or order a ride with them by phone.

Investing in Shortcuts in Trondheim

"Shortcuts" is part of the Greener Trondheim initiative, improving over 600 pedestrian paths with low-cost upgrades to save time, promote walking, and reduce car use, making it a key strategy in the city's sustainable mobility efforts.

Free annual bikeshare forresidents

Indianapolis residents can register for annual "IndyRides Free" passes for Pacers Bikeshare scheme, granting access to 325 bikes and e-bikes at 50 stations, thanks to local partners and federal funding.

Greenways

74 miles of linear parks connecting people and places, through economic benefits, recreation, and transportation. They are vegetated natural buffers that promote water quality, reduce flooding impact and provide wildlife habitat

Charlotte

Spotlight

1. Keltner, D. (2023). Awe: the new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life. NewYork. Penguin Press, 2023

2. Gehl People Methodology - Read more about the Gehl approach: https://www.gehlpeople.com/approach/

3. Stellar, J. E., John-Henderson, N., Anderson, C. L., Gordon, A. M., McNeil, G. D., & Keltner, D. (2015, January 19). Positive Affect and Markers of Inflammation: Discrete Positive Emotions Predict Lower Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines. Emotion. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000033

4. Elrafie N.S.S., Hassan G.F., El Fayoumi M.A., Ismail A. (2023). Investigating the perceived psychological stress in relevance to urban spaces’ different perceived personalities, Ain Shams Engineering Journal, Volume 14, Issue 6. 102116, ISSN 2090-4479, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2023.102116

5. A Metropolis for People (2009-2015)

6. Co-Create CPH (2015-2025)

7. Jackson R., (2015). Study Finds Habits in Children Take Root By Age 9, Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/school-thought/201502/studyfinds-habits-in-children-take-root-age-9

Thank you and Acknowledgements

It takes a village

In addition to the incredible young people who helped shape this research, there have been a number of dedicated teams and individuals working to bring this story to life.

Thankyou to Dacher Keltner for the foundational research and his continuous project advisory.

Thankyou to the researchers at BUILD for the collaboration on learning form the Nordics. Malene Lindberg, Bence Bøje-Kovács, Elise Lange, Lars Pico, thankyou for navigating all the possibilities and impossibilities with us.

Thankyou to The Happiness Research Institute; Catarina Lachund, Micah Kaats, MiekWiking, for the thought partnership on measuring well-being.

Thankyou to the Urban Institute and urbanCORE at UNC Charlotte; Lori Thomas, Toye Watson, Byron White for sharing knowledge, data, and ideas.

Thankyou to LISC for the support and feedback; Hiba Salih, Jordan Braswell, Albert Mills, Matthew Perkins

Thankyou to Tommi Laitio for your continual inspiring collaboration.

Thankyou to our collaborators at the City of Charlotte; Alysia Osbourne, Toluwalase Ibikunle for sharing your work, input and feedback.

Thankyou to the many local leaders in Charlotte who tookthe time to show us around your communities and share stories of Charlotte. Thankyou to Sil Ganzo, ourBRIDGE for Kids; Joi Mayo, City Council District 3; Adam Rhew and Lizzy Sirkin, SouthPark: Community Partners; Tim Miner and Matt Olin, Charlotte is Creative; Tommy Mann, Camp North End.

Thankyou to the community leaders and awe-makers for the foundational care-taking they do of their communities and for sharing their time and expertise with us.

Land Acknowledgement

Before this land was named Charlotte, it was used as a place of meeting and trade by a diverse group of Indigenous peoples, including the Catawba, Cherokee, Congaree, and Saponi Peoples, all of whom have stewarded this land throughout the generations.

Thankyou for the community organizers who helped recruit, train, and support young people and their data collection: Amy Farrell, Faith Fox, JemarionYoung.

Kelsey Van Dyke, Leah Jones, Sil Ganzo, Tim Miner, and Toye Watson.

Thankyou for all the young people who tooktheir time to show us their experiences and trusted us with their data, and their stories. Thankyou to:

Keylee

Linette

Kayla

Joyous

Zachary

Danija

Trinity

Shamaria

Kacie

Tre

Abel

Michelle

Maddie

Alexander

Olivia

Calia

Nilend

Kendall

Devaun

Taylor

Ari

Caleb

Sophia

Jeffrey Taylor

Keylee

Ariana

Allie Ava

Bee

Christopher

Crystal

Harmoni

Ishika

Jesse

Mohamaid

Nas

Vance Ava

Tanish

Graham

Maicy

Alexis

Marley

Elle

Joey

Angelina

Anna

Jones

Young

Apaez

McMullen

Hamilton

Bailey

Medina

Mizzelle

Cameron

Tynniah

Brent

Wilson

Damayia

Keleah

Imani

Ikeyla

Project Team

Sophia Schuff, Project Director

Louise Kielgast, Urban Health Expert

Jeff Risom, Senior Project Director

Rebecca Cook, Project Manager

Olivia Flynn, Senior Designer

Miriam Sode Alsteen, Behavioral Strategist

Adam Eriksson, Data Scientist

Clara McNair, Creative Technologist