What is a Charrette?

A Charrette is a week-long series of meetings, presentations and sessions, during which a design team generates a comprehensive planning and development strategy while soliciting the feedback of the general public.

A Charrette is also intended to enable planners, elected officials and the general population to discuss development issues in an open forum, with a focus on means of environmentally sustainable growth.

Use this link to visit the NCI Charrette website for a more detailed explanation on Charrettes

The term Charrette is derived from the French word for 'little cart'.

Origin of the Term "Charrette"

The French word, "charrette" means "cart" and is often used to describe the final, intense work effort expended by art and architecture students to meet a project deadline.

This use of the term is said to originate from the École des Beaux Arts in Paris during the 19th century, where proctors circulated a cart, or “charrette”, to collect final drawings while students frantically put finishing touches on their work