Charlotte Master of Urban Design Grad Aspen Johnston is A Big Picture Thinker
In the five years between his graduation from Appalachian State University, where he earned a degree in sustainable development, and his enrollment in UNC Charlotte’s Master of Urban Design program, Aspen Johnston explored a wide range of jobs.
Living in Asheville, he was a sales representative for a beverage company, then worked as a landscaper (his degree had an agroecology concentration). Later, he drew upon dual interests in art and science to teach young children in programs at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design and the Asheville Art Museum.
“That started building all the blocks that led me here,” he said recently, as he was completing final tasks before graduating on August 9. “I started seeing that all the biases we see in this world, kids that age don’t see it. There are so many things we could change if we addressed them at the root.”
A couple of years ago, Johnston began to consider graduate school.
“I looked at urban planning, art therapy (he had been volunteering with an art program for people experiencing homelessness), and then I discovered urban design. I realized that urban design made more sense for me. I’ve always been a big picture thinker. If I become an urban designer, hopefully I can help shape a world that better addresses the conditions – housing insecurity, disconnected communities, mental health challenges, inequality – that lead people to seek out art therapy programs.”
The David R. Ravin School of Architecture’s Master of Urban Design (MUD) degree certainly trains students to look at the big picture. The rigorous 12-month curriculum draws from the disciplines of architecture and landscape architecture, urban planning, real estate development, and data analytics to prepare students to work in the public or private sector to make towns and cities more livable. It is the only graduate degree program in urban design in North Carolina.
“You really do hit the ground running,” Johnston said. “It can be really intense, but that’s what you want when you only have a year.”
Johnston said he appreciated the fact that the MUD program is not limited to architecture graduates but welcomes applicants from any discipline.
A key element of the MUD program is the summer study abroad experience. During the first Summer 2025 session, Johnston traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, with his MUD cohort and program director Ming-Chun Lee. It was his first time out of the United States.