Urbanism Archives – Charleston Livability

New Mixed Use Building May Squeeze Onto Upper King Street

June 4, 2019May 15, 2019 by Bryan McElveen

Rendering of proposed building at 725 King Street by Neil Stevenson Architects

Recognizing the importance and benefits of weaving affordable residential housing into the evolving urban landscape, a proposal to the Board of Architectural Review would have a mixed use building squeeze into the vacant lot at 725 King Street. With less than 33 street-facing feet to work with, the proposed building has an efficient design to accommodate both commercial and residential …

Higher Density on the Charleston Eastside

June 29, 2019January 9, 2019 by Bryan McElveen

An aerial site map of 655 East Bay Street in Charleston, SC

A new infill development will soon be taking shape on the eastern edge of the Eastside borough on the historic Charleston peninsula. In a neighborhood composed mostly of Charleston Single Houses dating to the late 1800s, a dense, cohesive core of mixed uses has traditionally been lacking. In addition to a number of sporadically placed corner stores, restaurants, and venues …

Should Second Sunday on King Street be Every Day?

May 20, 2020March 7, 2018 by Bryan McElveen

People enjoying Second Sunday on King Street

The popularity of Second Sunday on King Street has illuminated a fundamental need: for the street to be a place in itself, not just a means to move traffic.

Huger Streetscaping

December 16, 2018February 11, 2015 by Bryan McElveen

Marking the boundary between historic Charleston and the Upper Peninsula district, Huger Street has served as a secondary roadway connecting Morrison Drive, Meeting Street, King Street, and into the Hampton Park Terrace neighborhood. However, the importance and prominence of Huger Street in Charleston’s infrastructure has never been more important. Traffic on the street began to increase with the opening of the …

Designing the Upper Peninsula

December 16, 2018August 5, 2014 by Bryan McElveen

Charleston’s intentions for The Upper Peninsula Initiative are to direct population growth towards the city center in an effort to mitigate sprawl. Of the eight strategies implemented in the EcoDistricts framework, Urban Form & Pattern has the most apparent and enduring influence. The arrangement of building densities, their heights and architectural styles, as well as the natural environment and transportation infrastructures are all paramount …