Context and Rationale

Building upon its storied past and place in the city and region, Tryon Street in Uptown will evolve as Charlotte’s true signature corridor for the 21st century, known on a national scale and reflecting the diversity, energy and character of the entire Charlotte region.

For decades, Tryon Street has functioned as the commercial center of Uptown, where some of the country's major corporate headquarters, businesses and institutions line the blocks. It is also a gathering place for celebrations and parades, drawing visitors from all over the region. In 2020, Tryon became a new kind of destination, when vehicular traffic was restricted for several blocks and the street was covered in a giant Black Lives Matter mural, signaling to the city – and the entire world—that Center City is a place where Black lives and the aspirations of African-Americans are valued in a downtown that is safe, welcoming and celebrated.

While it has many positive features and “good bones,” Tryon Street was designed and developed in the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, it feels somewhat dated, and it does not function well in a current urban environment characterized by increased numbers of pedestrians and bicycles, scooters, ride-share services, on-demand delivery, pop-up events, and street art. Tryon Street needs to reflect the culture and community of Charlotte’s future. It should feel more intimate, warm and celebratory with public art, local and culturally diverse businesses and lively streets.

Prior to the pandemic, the Charlotte community expressed desires for safe, comfortable streets that make room for music, art and discovery. During the pandemic, the use of public space and streets for dining, shopping and socializing became critical to keeping businesses open and residents connected. This flexibility and adaptability of space should be the cornerstone of a re-envisioned Tryon Street that puts people first.

During the pandemic recovery and into the coming decades, Tryon Street will better balance the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders with the needs of businesses and vehicles. The corridor design will allow for events and activities not just during business hours and holidays, but into the evenings and on weekends, for the entire year.

As a true multi-cultural corridor at the center of this dynamic and diverse community, Tryon Street will use creative seating, lighting, and interactive art to improve the function and enhance the beauty of the street. Points of interest along the corridor will encourage people to explore, linger, and experience the creativity and all the cultures of Charlotte's people.

Objectives

• Create a safe, warm and welcoming environment for all

• Celebrate Tryon Street as Charlotte’s birthplace, primary Main Street, and regional civic gathering space

• Strengthen its identity as a cultural corridor through marketing and design, building on the many existing civic and arts institutions

• Foster a distinct and impressionable identity

• Invest in and increase funding for more inventive and creative programming and events

• Balance elements of historic and cultural significance with contemporary streetscape design and the use of technology for programming, wayfinding and parking

Strategies and Recommendations

F1. BRAND AND PROMOTE TRYON STREET AS A MULTI-CULTURAL CORRIDOR THAT REFLECTS AND CELEBRATES THE DIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE

F1-1 Create a greater mix of activities and destinations on Tryon Street, including no- or low-cost, family-friendly activities

F1-2 Identify spaces for temporary and permanent local public art including sculpture, street art, and performances

F1-3 Develop a branding and marketing strategy to promote Tryon Street and its destinations as a cultural corridor for all

F1-4 Add opportunities for interactive activities, signage and furnishings

F2. DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STREETSCAPE DESIGN PLAN FOR TRYON STREET FROM I-277 TO I-277

F2-1 Ensure streetscape design supports Tryon’s identity as a multi-cultural corridor

F2-2 Redesign the sidewalk to include distinct areas including a frontage zone, pedestrian zone and amenity zone

F2-3 Create more usable and flexible spaces such as creative seating, curbside dining, music and art, and micro-retail to encourage outdoor street-level activity along the corridor

F2-4 Create a new toolkit of streetscape materials, lighting and furnishings that balance contemporary and traditional design elements

› Toolkit elements should respond directly to the adjacent land / building use when appropriate (e.g., outdoor seating adjacent to dining)

F2-5 Establish design standards that reduce visual clutter and maintain the flexible use of spaces

F2-6 Establish gateway elements at the edges of Uptown

F2-7 Maintain, enhance and plan for the evolution of the tree canopy and landscaping

F2-8 Introduce green infrastructure elements while maximizing usable sidewalk space

F2-9 Strategically re-allocate on-street parking and ensure efficient shared use of curb space

F2-10 Shorten pedestrian crossings

F3. ENSURE GROUND-FLOOR ACTIVATION AND TRANSPARENCY TO PROVIDE A DYNAMIC, WELCOMING AND SAFE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDES BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TO PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS

F3-1 Prohibit the expansion or addition of skywalks to bring more pedestrians to street level to activate the pedestrian environment, and to support businesses on the corridor

F3-2 Encourage and incentivize ground floor and parking garage retrofits (on Tryon and cross-streets) to support an active street life incorporating elements such as:

› Facade enhancements with increased transparency and permeability

› Varied materials to create more interesting places, facades, signs etc. to add more character

› Activation below building overhangs

› Well-designed and distinctive signage

› Visible storefronts

› Outdoor seating options and cafes

› Bike and scooter parking

› Preserve tree canopy and integrate stormwater management

F3-3 Reprogram, redesign and/or retrofit large ground-floor lobbies along Tryon Street to accommodate active and engaging uses. Explore limiting the size of lobbies relative to total ground floor frontage.

F3-4 Work with building and property owners to eliminate or mitigate gaps along the street, including surface parking lots and vacant parcels, through infill development, landscaping, creation of pocket parks and /or programming

F3-5 Establish a clearly defined policy and program to encourage greater use of existing private open spaces, courtyards, forecourts, plazas and other “nooks and crannies” along Tryon Street

F3-6 Update the UDO and UMUD to ensure active ground-floor uses and transparency