Charlotte offers free furniture for community spaces

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a creative push to transform underused public spaces into vibrant community hubs, the City of Charlotte has launched a new initiative that offers free, high-quality outdoor furniture to local neighborhoods. The effort, led by the city’s Urban Design Center, is part of a broader placemaking strategy aimed at empowering residents to reimagine and revitalize their shared environments.

Charlotte Kuuskvere, a planning project manager with the Urban Design Center, explained that the initiative is rooted in the city’s mission to enhance the built environment and foster stronger community connections. 

“Placemaking is about transforming underutilized space into vibrant places for people,” Kuuskvere said during an interview on WCNC+. “It’s about collaborating with the people who will use that space to make it happen.”

At the heart of the campaign is the newly revamped Placemaking Hub, a digital guidebook designed to help residents plan, install, and maintain their own public space projects. To promote the tool and encourage community participation, the city is giving away what it playfully calls “fun-iture”—a collection of colorful, commercial-grade benches, picnic tables, bistro sets, and Adirondack chairs.

The furniture is being donated by companies that share the city’s vision for accessible, inclusive public spaces. 

“There’s no lack of ideas,” Kuuskvere noted. “But sometimes something as small as having a bench available can really help move a project forward.”

Eligibility for the giveaway is intentionally broad. Any publicly accessible space—whether publicly or privately owned—can qualify. The key criteria are community access and the potential impact of the proposed project.

To apply, residents are encouraged to post a photo or video of their proposed site on Instagram or Facebook, tagging the Urban Design Center at @CLTUrbanDesign. They must also complete a short application available at the Placemaking Hub, which asks for basic contact information, the site address, and a brief explanation of how the furniture would enhance the space.

“Adding something like a piece of furniture lets people know they’re allowed to be there,” Kuuskvere said. “It invites them to linger, connect, and get to know each other.”

For more information on how to participate or to explore the Placemaking Hub, visit charlotteNC.gov/placemakinghub.