Crossroads Matthews
A plan for equitable suburban growth in North Carolina.
Overview
Light rail is coming to the middle-class Charlotte suburb of Matthews, bringing with it uncertainty about how the town might grow yet still hold onto its small-town character. This made it an ideal case study for a design competition focused on equitable growth at the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Teaming up with fellow planners in Arup’s LA office, I led historical research and cultural activation strategies for our plan for the future growth of the town. I was super inspired by the “salt and pepper” urban fabric of Charlotte after the Civil War, so my work focused on conceptualizing ways to evolve the town’s identity from a protected bedroom community to a point of intersection where diverse communities can mingle and generate collective identities.
We placed second in the competition and presented our plan at ITE’s annual conference in New Orleans.
Activitiesarchival research
interviews
concept development
creative direction
spatial analysis
planning strategy
TeamSteve Gaskill, Stella Yip, Thyda Uy, Katherine Buck, Mike Ernst, Alexandra Hyatt
Date2022
LocationMatthews, North Carolina
StudioArup Cities, Planning & Design