Greener project looks at how the city’s rapid growth is impacting its natural spaces—through habitat loss, reduced tree coverage, and shrinking green areas—but its core purpose is to encourage people to appreciate and actively use the greenway system before more of these spaces are altered or lost to development. By connecting Charlotte’s urban expansion to its environmental consequences, the project emphasizes how easily green spaces can disappear when growth moves faster than responsible planning. Ultimately, it aims to spark more awareness, appreciation, and everyday use of the greenways, reminding residents that these trails and natural corridors play a vital role in the city’s identity, quality of life, and long-term environmental resilience.
The first product is a poster series designed to draw people into the greenway, capturing the sense of movement, curiosity, and discovery that comes from exploring the trail. Whether someone visits often or for the first time, the designs encourage walking, running, or wandering through the space. Bold orange and white typography highlights words like Explore and Run, while an orange path line guides the eye like a trail. A subtle grid, small icons, arrows, and coordinates give a navigational feel, connecting the posters to real spots on the greenway and turning local paths into inviting destinations.
The second product is a magazine designed to feel like a guided trip through the greenway. It blends facts, stories, and photography to reveal what these spaces offer—why they’re valuable, how they connect communities, and what people can experience along the way. With compositions inspired by physical movement and discovery, the layouts give readers moments to explore on their own and moments to pause. The magazine ultimately serves as an invitation to slow down, look closely, and appreciate the greenway as both a natural space and a shared resource.
The third product is a set of t-shirts, each featuring a unique greenway map and designed like a “collect-them-all” series to encourage exploring multiple trails. Each shirt highlights notable stops — from UNC Charlotte to NoDa and local parks — helping wearers recognize familiar places or discover new ones. A bold frame surrounds the map, while native plants and animals decorate the border, celebrating the rich ecology along the greenways. These details emphasize that the trail experience is about more than movement, blending exploration, education, and identity so people can show their greenway pride and stay connected to the outdoors.
Design can do more than just inform—it can connect people to their environment and inspire change. A greenway isn’t just a path—it’s a bridge between people and nature. If my work can make even one person want to explore their local trail, then I’ve done my job.
