Investigating the role of emotions in how young people experience awe in Charlotte

Exploring the connection between awe and the city

At Gehl, we’ve developed a robust approach to studying how people interact with urban spaces to inform urban planning and design decisions. Our collaboration with The Gambrell Foundation took us to new territory — moving beyond observing how people use the urban environment to asking how an urban environment makes people feel.

To get to the heart of the powerful connection between emotion and our urban environments, the team at Gehl asked young people in Charlotte, United States, to document their urban experiences and tell stories about how the places they visit make them feel. The research approach included analyzing high-level data trends, joining community-led walking tours, and engaging directly with 40 youth citizen scientists who documented their personal perceptions of the city and contextualized their findings through storytelling workshops. The results led to a renewed understanding of some of the conditions that facilitate or complicate people’s emotions in the city as well as experiences of connection, belonging, and awe.

While there is no silver bullet for creating a caring city, there is an ecosystem of opportunities — from big moves to everyday actions — that can nurture a better quality of life for all. We believe this goes beyond urban design; it’s about creating places where people feel seen, valued, and connected. In Awe of Charlotte seeks to understand how awe emerges in the places where our everyday lives unfold.