Human Centered Design with Nathan Daniel, Shaun Tooley and Patrick Cooley

Charlotte’s Trees: Preserving the Canopy in a Growing City

Charlotte’s tree canopy is one of the city’s defining characteristics. But as the region continues to grow, can Charlotte maintain its identity as the City of Trees, especially with a goal of 50% canopy coverage by 2050 and current coverage sitting at 47%? In this episode of Building Connections, host Bart Landess of Catawba Lands Conservancy sits down with Eric Schmidhausler of Bartlett Tree Experts and Thomas Haapapuro of Design Resource Group (DRG) to discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding Charlotte’s urban forest. From development pressures and tree preservation policies, like the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), to homeowner responsibilities and “teenage trees” in the canopy’s future, the conversation explores how thoughtful planning, community advocacy and smart design can help balance growth while preserving one of the region’s most valuable assets.  Listeners can visit: https://charlotte.uli.org/resources/building-connections-the-uli-charlotte-podcast/ [https://charlotte.uli.org/resources/building-connections-the-uli-charlotte-podcast/] and click on episode #15 to access resources on the tree canopy and tree preservation in Charlotte.

New People, Places & Investments with Ashley Fahey from the Charlotte Ledger

Charlotte has become one of the nation's most watched growth markets. But what are experienced developers seeing that keeps them investing here? In this episode of Building Connections, Charlotte Ledger Managing Editor Ashley Fahey talks with leaders from Republic and Hines about why Charlotte continues to attract capital, talent and ambitious development projects. They discuss the opportunities, challenges and long-term trends shaping the city's next chapter.

Restaurants, Real Estate, and the Reality Behind the Storefront

Restaurants play an important role in shaping how people experience a place, but behind the energy and atmosphere is a business model under constant pressure.  In this episode of Building Connections, host Rachel Krenz sits down with restaurateur and celebrity chef Chris Coleman with Built on Hospitality and developer Bobby Speir with Crosland Southeast to explore the intersection of restaurants and real estate from both sides of the table.  The conversation digs into the realities restaurant operators face, from rising costs and labor challenges to the complexity of scaling and sustaining concepts. It also examines how developers and landlords evaluate restaurant tenants, balancing the value they bring to a project with the risk they carry.  Together, they discuss how expectations are shifting, where traditional deal structures fall short and what more collaborative approaches could look like moving forward.

A P3 Playbook: Partnering for Impact

In this episode of Building Connections, host Todd DeLong of the City of Charlotte Economic Development Department sits down with Jeff Brown of Moore & Van Allen and Daniel Malino of Levine Properties to break down how public-private partnerships (P3s) actually work. From the legal structure behind these deals to the financial realities developers face, the conversation explores how cities and private partners collaborate to deliver projects that benefit both the market and the community. Using real Charlotte examples like Camp North End, the Pearl Innovation District and Providence Square, they discuss the tools, timing and relationships required to structure successful P3s and how infrastructure investment and aligned public priorities can unlock development that might not otherwise happen.

Places Made with Purpose: The Business Case for Art in Development with Adam Rhew, Lauren Harkey and Andrew Baysden

In this episode of Building Connections, host Adam Rhew sits down with Lauren Harkey of Hodges Taylor and Andrew Baysden of Crescent Communities to explore how intentional public art transforms real estate projects into meaningful places. From Crescent's famous "Pete the Troll" at the River District, now drawing visitors from around the world, to the scrappy origin story of the Goodyear Arts program in Uptown Charlotte, Lauren and Andrew share real examples of art that drove leasing, catalyzed the community and gave developers the permission to dream bigger. They also break down the practical side: when to bring art in, how to budget for it, how to manage community engagement without losing artistic integrity and why having an expert project manager makes all the difference.