MARY NEWSOM

Urbies '02 Praising -- and pooh-poohing -- recent developments

This marks the sixth year I've given Urbie awards. During that time, I've heard one question about the awards more frequently than all others rolled together: Why the dead possum?

I'll answer below. But first, a recap for new readers. The Urbie awards recognize people, places, buildings and decisions that push Charlotte and its region into acting more like a city and less like an amorphous, air-polluting blob of sprawl. The Urbie icon shows a modest, rather lovable city building. If more city buildings looked like Urbie, maybe not quite so many people would hate cities quite so much.

Unfortunately, I don't have a prize budget. Winners receive only the warm glow of knowing their good works are publicly recognized.

Urbies, however, are just half the story. I also note those ugly buildings and places, plus venal (or simply knuckleheaded) decisions that make urban living not urbane, but unpleasant. Those things are noted by possum roadkill -- an icon I selected for the Urbies' 1996 debut because ...

I confess. I picked it because I was desperate. I needed art, and thumbing through a folder of clip art I found the building, then noticed the possum. I loved its tiny helpless feet and the lolling of its disgusting tongue. I can rationalize about roadkill and wildlife habitat loss, but the truth is I just think the possum is cute. [...]