School of Planning, Design and Construction National Charrette Institute

The word charrette originated in 19th-century Paris, where architecture students at the École des Beaux-Arts would finalize their designs on carts ("charrettes") as they were wheeled to professors for review (Lennertz & Lutzenhiser, 2014). Over time, the term also entered French slang: être charrette came to mean being overloaded with work, while faire charrette refers to working overnight to finish a job (Kilbane & Roös, 2022). This association with urgency and intensive effort carried forward, shaping how the concept of the charrette has been adapted within planning, design, construction and many other fields.

By the mid-20th century, top-down urban planning began to face criticism as communities demanded greater involvement in shaping their neighborhoods (Sanoff, 2000). During the 1960s and ’70s, participatory planning models gained traction, and by the late 1980s and ’90s, the modern charrette emerged as a more structured and collaborative approach to planning and design (Condon, 2008; Roggerma, 2014).

Bill Lennertz, who managed several charrettes for Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, helped formalize the process. In 2001, he co-founded the National Charrette Institute (NCI) as a nonprofit organization dedicated to standardizing the charrette process, establishing best practices or principles, and providing professional training. In 2016, NCI became part of Michigan State University’s School of Planning, Design and Construction and MSU Extension, continuing its mission and expanding its educational efforts.

In the 21st century, the term “charrette” has grown in popularity and is now used in a wide range of fields beyond its original context in planning and design (Gibson & Whittington, 2010; Staub & Iulo, 2011). NCI defines modern charrettes as structured, values-based processes rooted in its Complete Charrette System™. While the term “charrette” has become widely used in many fields, there is often misunderstanding about what a charrette is.

NCI emphasizes that charrettes uphold principles of authenticity, collaboration, cocreation, inclusivity, respect for lived and learned experience, and transparent communication. While there are certainly other engagement processes such as daylong workshops that uphold these values, an NCI charrette is unique. Building on the nine principles outlined by Lennertz and Lutzenhiser (2014), NCI recently reframed these
into a clear set of characteristics that distinguish modern charrettes from less rigorous applications of the term.

What are the characteristics that NCI uses to define a true charrette?

1. Work Collaboratively with Purpose and Intention

2. Ensure Accessibility and Flexibility in Participation

• Engage a broad range of voices.
• Actively engage through multiple modes of participation.

3. Study Both the Details and the Whole

4. Design Cross-Functionally and Multi-disciplinarily to Seek Transdisciplinary Solutions

• Create and hold space for shared learning and understanding.
• Co-create a shared vision that integrates diverse expertise into holistic solutions.

5. Communicate Through At Least Three Accelerated Feedback Loop.

• Conduct multi-day sessions (at least 3 days) that allow for iteration and trust-building.
• Compress the process into focused, high-energy work sessions to sustain momentum.

6. Develop a Feasible and Implementable Plan

Modern charrettes have evolved far beyond their architectural origins in 19th-century Paris. Once associated primarily with planning and design, today’s charrettes are structured, facilitated, and outcome-focused events used across diverse fields such as healthcare, education, arts, disaster recovery, community development, environmental planning, and organizational development. Their resurgence stems from a broader
demand for more democratic, participatory approaches to decision-making—a shift that began in response to top-down planning models of the mid-20th century (Condon, 2008; Gibson & Whittington, 2010; Staub & Iulo, 2011).

NCI describes modern charrettes as principle-based processes that distinguish themselves from more cursory uses of the term by adhering to a structured, values driven, and evidence-informed framework. Over time, NCI has formalized this process through its Complete Charrette System™, with principles documented in The Charrette Handbook (Lennertz & Lutzenhiser, 2014). Today, NCI identifies six Defining Characteristics that describe authentic charrettes, emphasizing purposeful collaboration, broad engagement, multidisciplinary input, and iterative feedback—all grounded in a deep understanding of place and context, whether in-person or virtual. As the term “charrette” becomes more widely applied, NCI continues to advance these standards to ensure the process remains an inclusive and effective tool for addressing complex challenges.

References
Condon, P. M. (2008). Design Charrettes for Sustainable Communities. Island Press.

Gibson, G. E., & Whittington, D. A. (2010). Charrettes as a Method for Engaging Industry in Best Practices Research. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 136(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000079

Kilbane, S., & Roös, P. B. (2022). Charrette! An urgent response toward resilient and sustainable cities and landscapes. In Resilient and Sustainable Cities: Research, Policy and Practice (pp. 227–243). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91718-6.00015-3

Lennertz, B., & Lutzenhiser, A. (2014). The Charrette Handbook: The Essential Guide to Design-Based Public Envolvement (Second). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Roggerma, R. (Ed.). (2014). The Design Charrette: Ways to Envision Sustainable Futures. Springer.

Sanoff, H. (2000). Community Participation Methods in Design and Planning. John Wiley & Sons.

Staub, A., & Iulo, L. D. (2011). User-Participation and the Design Charrette: Arcc 2011, 1 (1), 305–314. file:///Users/jlmorlacci/Desktop/341-1148-1-PB.pdf