Highlighting 50 influential people and groups whose vision, passion, focus, and faith have shaped the
city since 1975
By Stephanie Hunt for Charleston Magazine
“A city is a cocreation, an ongoing act of shared responsibility,” writes Charles Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns, a national nonprofit advocating for safe, livable, and inviting cities. Since 1670, there have been innumerable cocreators who have shaped the city we know today, but over the past half-century, that “ongoing act” has entailed unprecedented challenges and opportunities given the rapid shifts in how we live. Fifty years ago, Charleston (population 69,510; metro 276,000) had no computers, no Internet, no Daniel Island, no pandemic, no Yelp or AirBNB, no acknowledged sea-level rise, no CVB, and sadly, no Callie’s Biscuits. Here, we recognize those who have stepped up and shouldered the shared responsibility of navigating the changes and challenges as this old city moves into the 21st century.
