Join Us for the Multi-Day SODO Charrette!

We are excited to announce that the SODO Charrette will kick-off on Sunday evening, April 19th, and conclude the evening of Thursday, April 23rd.

• Where: Family Life Center (Easton Church of God)
• Address: 1009 N. Washington Street, Easton, MD

What is a charrette?

A charrette is an intensive, collaborative design studio where stakeholders—including architects, planners, designers, citizens, and officials—work side-by-side to solve oftentimes complex planning challenges under a tight deadline. It is a high-energy process where the design time works around the clock to turn ideas into visual plans. By bringing everyone into the same room, feedback happens in real-time, bypassing months of traditional back-and-forth meetings.

How will the SODO Charrette week work?

The charrette balances public collaboration with professional studio time:

• Public Kick-off & Workshops: Join us on Sunday evening at 6:00 PM for an opening presentation and to share your vision.

• Private Studio & Production: Between public sessions, designers work privately in the studio to sketch and map ideas as they are discussed. However, the public is welcome to drop-in on Wednesday morning to see the team in action and to ask questions.

• Feedback Loops ("Pin-ups"): We use iterative "pin-up" sessions where design scenarios are proposed and critiqued by the public. This allows you to see the immediate physical implications of your suggestions.

• Final Reveal: On Thursday, the designers further refine these scenarios, culminating in a final public presentation on Thursday at 6:30 PM, the last day of the event.

Why Attend?

Charrettes are uniquely effective because they build genuine consensus. By participating, you ensure your voice is part of the foundation. This process compresses months of planning into a single week, creating a fast-tracked, community-led vision for the future of SODO.

You can access the link below to download a pdf of the detailed charrette schedule.

PLEASE RSVP TO planningandzoning@eastonmd.gov IF YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING THE OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION AND WORKSHOP TO HELP US PLAN AHEAD.