Rachel Stark is an urban designer with over 15 years of experience in building new fields of practice. She leverages her design thinking, data analysis, and graphic communication skills developed while at NC State’s College of Design over the years to deftly explore more territory. She strengthened the Raleigh Urban Design Center as a powerhouse for communicating, navigating, collaborating, and supporting work across departments at the City of Raleigh. She then leveraged the city planning skills she developed in Raleigh to build the capacity of a startup urban design firm in Cape Town, South Africa, followed by starting her own landscape architecture business. She then took a role in Charlotte’s brand-new Urban Design Center in 2016 to rapidly expand its capabilities and role as a valuable resource for other departments. In 2021, Rachel joined the City’s Innovation & Technology department to lead the inaugural Smart Cities program to its award-winning status. Ever the challenge-acceptor, in 2025 she supported the City Manager’s Office to create the opportunity for Mecklenburg County residents to choose significant, long-term funding to improve the region’s ability to keep people moving and connected. She now leads the Department of Transportation’s Mobility Innovation section.
Rachel Stark is an urban designer with over 15 years of experience in building new fields of practice. She leverages her design thinking, data analysis, and graphic communication skills developed while at NC State’s College of Design over the years to deftly explore more territory. She strengthened the Raleigh Urban Design Center as a powerhouse for communicating, navigating, collaborating, and supporting work across departments at the City of Raleigh. She then leveraged the city planning skills she developed in Raleigh to build the capacity of a startup urban design firm in Cape Town, South Africa, followed by starting her own landscape architecture business. She then took a role in Charlotte’s brand-new Urban Design Center in 2016 to rapidly expand its capabilities and role as a valuable resource for other departments. In 2021, Rachel joined the City’s Innovation & Technology department to lead the inaugural Smart Cities program to its award-winning status. Ever the challenge-acceptor, in 2025 she supported the City Manager’s Office to create the opportunity for Mecklenburg County residents to choose significant, long-term funding to improve the region’s ability to keep people moving and connected. She now leads the Department of Transportation’s Mobility Innovation section.
