Charlotte, NC Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

5-foot amenity zone on Uptown Signature Streets and Linear Park streets, a 10-foot sidewalk and 8-foot amenity zone on Uptown Primary Streets, and an 8-foot sidewalk and 8-foot amenity zone on Uptown Secondary Streets. Tree grates are required within the amenity zone on Uptown Signature, Primary and Tryon Street frontages. Pavers must follow the Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM) on every Uptown street classification, and concrete paver blocks laid in herringbone pattern are only permitted with an encroachment agreement from the applicable agency. Pedestrian lighting is required in the "Open Deluxe Acorn" fixture style with 60 to 80 foot spacing on Signature, Linear Park, Primary and Secondary streets, with spacing tied to tree placement: the ordinance notes that where trees are spaced 40 feet apart, lighting typically runs at 80-foot spacing alternating pedestrian and street lights, tightening to 60-foot spacing with one street light per two pedestrian lights where trees sit 30 feet apart.

Curb and gutter must be granite curb on Signature and Linear Park streets and standard CLDSM curb on Primary and Secondary streets. Tryon Street within Uptown is carved out separately: it must match existing lighting and curb and follow the "Tryon Street Mall Streetscape Guidelines" for amenity zone elements, pavers, lighting and curb design, but is otherwise classified as an Uptown Signature Street for every other purpose under the table. Utilities are required to run within the tree grates rather than elsewhere in the amenity zone.

These standards apply on top of, not instead of, the general Table 33-5 amenity zone and planting strip requirements that vary by Place Type elsewhere in Article 33.