A version of the following article appeared in the Friday, July 17, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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A longtime resident walked 24 miles to survey uptown sidewalk conditions. With awards for the ‘Worst Eyesore,’ ‘Pride Leadership’ and ‘Pride Slide,’ he graded 493 sidewalks.
The sidewalk in front of Ally Charlotte Center (pictured left) was observed as the best-kept stretch in uptown. The vacant site near the Charlotte Convention Center on MLK Jr. Boulevard was deemed the worst-kept sidewalk in the city’s center. (Photos courtesy of Publius Carolinus)
by Lindsey Banks
For about eight weeks this spring, one uptown resident spent his daily strolls doing something most people would never think to do: grading sidewalks.
The resident, who has lived in uptown for 25 years, walked roughly 24 miles around the district, block by block, documenting everything from cracked pavement and weeds to grease stains, landscaping and overflowing trash. The result was a detailed report rating sidewalks throughout the city’s center — intended to start a conversation about who is responsible for keeping them clean.
He wishes to remain anonymous and goes by the alias Publius Carolinus, a nod to “Publius,” the pseudonym used by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay in The Federalist papers. Like those writers, he said, he wanted to focus on the ideas rather than the person behind them.
The Ledger received the 30-page “Sidewalk Pride Score Report” this week and spoke with Publius Carolinus himself to learn more about it.
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