Supporting Art

There are placemaking tools at your disposal to help improve the public spaces in your neighborhood. The city has two toolkits – Creating Place and Supporting Art – that separate projects based on the typical approval processes. Supporting Art includes placemaking projects that incorporate items such as artwork, sculptures and wayfinding.

Sculpture, Wall Murals and Other Art Installations

The city encourages the installation of art, including sculptures, as a way to create unique places and celebrate neighborhoods. Wall murals and other public art installations can showcase the creaticity and input of local artists and residents. Art installations help make streets and neighborhoods more attractive and unique, and the process of creating them encourages communities to work together to create vibrant art projects in their neighborhoods.

Permitted Locations

• Vertical structures in the public right-of-way (e.g., bridge columns, walls, etc.).

Prohibited Locations

• Locations that create hazards for motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists.
• Locations in which a project may obscure, mimic or confuse pavement markings or regulatory devices.
• CDOT will provide guidance on these and other areas in the public right-of-way that may impact site selection for your project.

Design Requirements

• Projects shall not include words, logos, commercial speech or advertising.
• Projects may not mimic traffic control devices such as crosswalks or street signage.
• Projects must minimize yellow and white paint to avoid looking like traffic control devices.
• CDOT will provide guidance on specific locational requirements for your project.

Notes for Applicants

• Each art installation will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis to determine if it could potentially create adverse distractions or vehicular or pedestrian movements that could interfere with traffic flow or compromise safety.
• Projects on NCDOT right-of-way will be reviewed by NCDOT's Right-of-Way Art Committee as designated by the Secretary of Transportation.
• Projects that require streets to be blocked or closed during installation are allowed and subject to specific installation requirements. CDOT will define applicable requirements on a case by case basis.

 

Street and Sidewalk Murals

Murals on city streets and sidewalks are a fun way to make your neighborhood unique and celebrate what makes it special. Several location types are eligible for Paint the Pavement projects:

Permitted Locations

• Note: City staff will help applicants determine specific eligibility criteria (e.g., traffic volume, city or NCDOT right-of-way, etc.).
• Intersection murals.
  • Streets with less than 10,000 vehicles per day.
  • Intersections with stop signs.
• Crosswalk murals.
  • Streets with less than 10,000 vehicles per day.
  • Any existing, marked crosswalk on streets that meet the criteria above.
• Midblock murals.
  • Streets with less than 10,000 vehicles per day.
• Live-Ends.
  • Any dead-end or cul-de-sac on a city-maintained street.
• Sidewalk murals.
  • All sidewalks within the public right-of-way on city or NCDOT-maintained streets.

Prohibited Loactions

• In addition to the locations identified below, street murals are prohibited in NCDOT right-of-way, any other portions of the roadway in which a project may obscure, mimic, or confuse pavement markings or regulatory devices, and any other location deemed inappropriate by the CDOT director or their designee.
• Note: City staff will help applicants determine public right-of-way eligibility.
• Intersection murals.
  • Streets with 10,000 or more vehicles per day.
• Crosswalk murals.
  • Streets with 10,000 or more vehicles per day.
  • Shared use crosswalks (colored with green markings).
• Midblock murals.
  • Within 200 feet of an intersection.
  • Portions of the roadway that include school zone markings or railroad markings.
• Live-Ends.
  • No additional prohibited locations.
• Sidewalk murals.
  • Tryon Street in Uptown may not be an appropriate location because of specific streetscape design requirements for those corridors. City staff will help applicants determine if a proposed mural location is appropriate.

Design Requirements

• Must comply with the CDOT General Considerations for Art i nCDOT right-of-way Memorandum. Key requirements include:
  • Words, logos, commerical speech or advertising are not allowed.
  • Paint may not mimic traffic control devices such as crosswalks or street signage.
  • Yellow and white paint shall be minimized to avoid looking like traffic control devices.
  • Designs must include sufficient blank space (non-painted areas) to ensure adequate roadway grip to ensure areas are not slippery when wet. Alternatively, the paint may be mixed with walnut shells or "shark grip" grit (chewed up plastic pieces) to add grit and prevent a slip hazard. These materials are readily avaialble and city staff can belp guide applicants seeking to use them.

Notes for Applicants

• Paint must be low toxicity latex paint and must be lead-free.Proposed paint materials must be submitted to CDOT for review and approval.
• All materials must be used in compliance with all state and federal regulations and according to manufacturer's specifications.
• Applicants should have a plan for material and equipment use as well as safe procedures whne working with youth. A good resource is the Art and Craft Safety Guide of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Applicants must clean up and dispose of paint in an appropriate manner. Paint may not be disposed of in the city storm drains , city sweers or waste containers.
• Paint shall be applied in a precise, high quality manner. Accidental spills, paint drips and messy edges must be cleaned up.
• The applicant is responsible for all maintenance, repair and removeal includeing touch-ups, graffitt removal and repainting due to street maintenance or utility cuts. THe applinacnt is responsible for repainteing after significant wear or completely removing the paint at the end of the permit period using a method approved by the CDOT.
• Paintings in the public right-of-way become city property. THe city has the absolute right to change, modify, destroy, remove, relocate, move, replace, transport or restore the aretwork located within the cigty right-of0way in whole or in part, in city's sole discretion. The maintenance and repair of the painting is the responsibility of the applinact per the completed Temporary Infrastructure Agreement between the applinact and the city.
• Projects on Tryon Street require coordination with Charlotte Center City Partners.
• Note: Applicants are advised that the visual mimages are not intended to create a forum for public expression. The city right-of-way is a closed public forum. The city reserves the right to control what is depicted in the city's right-of-way.

 

Utility Cabinet Wraps

Every traffic signal (sometimes called “traffic lights”) at a signalized intersection has a control cabinet. These cabinets are generally grey metallic boxes in highly visible locations. Signal cabinets on city-maintained streets are eligible for communities to decorate. City staff will help applicants determine eligibility based on the Traffic Signal Maintenance Responsibility Map maintained by CDOT.

Permitted Locations

• Signal cabinets on city-maintained stressts. City staff will help applicants determine eligibility based on the Traffic Signal Maintenance Responsibility Map maintained by CDOT.

Design Requirements

• Signal cabinet covers are permitted only in the form of a vinyl wrap. Paint and other mediums are proibited.
• Wrap must be installed by a city-approved contractor. Contractor is liable for any property damaged during installation.
• Wrap shall not interfere with ability to open the cabinet and access signal controls. Doors, vents and key flaps must remain functional.

  

Signage

Neighborhoods across Charlotte use different types of signs, including street sign toppers, street banners, decorative signs, and monument signs, to help support neighborhood identity. The city supports many different types of signage that can be installed on public and private property (with the consent of the owner).

Permitted Locations

• Private property (does not require a placemaking permit).
• Public right-of-way (subject to CDOT review).

Design Requirements

• Private property.
  • Signs on private property (e.g., monument signs) do not requre a placemaking permit. THey are regulated by the Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance Aricle 22 and may require a Mecklenburg County Sign Permit.
• SIgn posts in the public right-of-way.
  • Posts should typically be hollow aluminum. CDOT can provide guidance on other materials.
  • Signs should be mounted 7 feet from the bottom edge of the sign to the grouns surface. CDOT may alter this requirement on a case-by-case basis.
  • Located generally between the curb or edge of pavement and the closest public right-of-way (proerty) line. If a sidewalk with a planting strip exists, the sign should be located in the planting strip. CDOT will provide additional guidance on where to locate sign posts.
• Decorative signs and banners.
  • Signs cannot be used for commerical advertising or for promoting any poligivcal or social advocacy organization or poliitcal or religious message.
  • One illustration of a corporation or business sponsorign the cost of a sign for an applicant shall be allowed per sign and the total illustration for the sponsor shall not exceed 15% of the total banner space in the design.
  • Banners can only be attached to street light utulity poles.
  • Signs cannot be attached or affixed to poles with traffic signals.
  • CDOT will provide guidance on installations limitations and requirements.

Notes for Applicants

• Uptown street banners and light pole banner requirements and permits are managed by Charlotte Center City Partners.