One afternoon Charleston County called ULI South Carolina. They had their eyes on an undeveloped parcel of land and wanted ULI’s counsel. But they wanted it soon. “I didn’t have enough time to plan a TAP,” Heather Foley, ULI South Carolina Executive Director said, “so I called Tom and Maureen.” Tom Murphy and Maureen McAvey, two of ULI’s three Senior Resident Fellows, were on a plane to Charleston shortly thereafter.

“This was a classic ULI issue,” Murphy said. Charleston County had no city-wide development strategy in place. They had never even done a charrette before. Over two days, Murphy and McAvey spent time taking site tours, moderating mobile workshops, facilitating 60 person discussion groups, and bringing together public officials with local real estate professionals. “The private sector gave the county a reality check,” McAvey noted, “discussing design ideas and asking how much land the development could absorb.” After the whirlwind of tours and panels and meetings, Murphy and McAvey gave Charleston County a fresh perspective on their parcel. “Charleston has the opportunity to grow outside its historic district,” Murphy notes, “but what we’ve seen so far are small, individual developments rather than an orchestrated plan. The next challenge [facing Charleston] is working together.” “This project,” McAvey said, “really could set Charleston up for the next 30 to 50 years of development.” Murphy and McAvey are planning a follow-up in the coming months.

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