01/31/2026
💚💛💙 Excited for the rebranding of Kanawha City and all that it has to offer!
Proud to be a part of this wonderful side of Charleston.
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🌳 Introducing the New Kanawha City Village Business District Brand 🌳
A new chapter has begun.
Charleston Urban Works, alongside our Kanawha City Working Group of business owners, property owners, residents, city department leaders, city council members, and branding professionals, is proud to unveil the brand identity that will help shape the future of Kanawha City.
Over the past several months, we’ve taken a thoughtful, community-driven approach to understand what Kanawha City represents—and what it aspires to become. The result is a new brand that honors this district’s history while building a foundation for its next exciting chapter.
🌿 The Meaning Behind the Logo
At the heart of the brand is the Kanawha City tree—a longtime symbol of the neighborhood and a reflection of its welcoming spirit, generational pride, and natural beauty. The strong canopy represents the people, businesses, institutions, and traditions that make Kanawha City unique.
But this logo also features something new: the roots.
These roots represent the foundation Charleston Urban Works is helping strengthen—supporting economic vitality, enhancing public spaces, and fostering collaboration throughout the entire corridor. They symbolize the work happening beneath the surface: relationship-building, data-driven strategy, and the collective commitment of the community that will allow new growth to flourish.
The tree + roots together tell Kanawha City’s story: deeply rooted, constantly evolving, and full of potential.
🏙️ Why “Village Business District”?
Kanawha City is not a traditional “downtown” or tightly packed commercial core. It’s a linear, neighborhood-integrated corridor—stretching from CAMC Memorial at Vandalia Health to The Shops at Kanawha—filled with locally owned shops, essential services, legacy businesses, new entrepreneurs, schools, parks, and deeply committed residents.
“Village Business District” captures what Kanawha City has always been at its core:
✨ A community-oriented place
✨ A district where people support one another
✨ A corridor with a strong identity and shared pride
The name reflects that Kanawha City’s strength is its people.
🔗 How This Brand Fits Into the Larger CUW Vision
Charleston Urban Works supports multiple Charleston districts, each with its own identity—but all tied together by CUW’s mission:
“Charleston Urban Works will enhance our public spaces, nurture our communities and celebrate a destination and its people. Through collaboration, innovation and bold ideas CUW will redefine the Urban Appalachian experience for those who have chosen Charleston as residents, business owners and visitors.”
The Kanawha City brand aligns with CUW’s larger design system and values while giving this district its own signature look and feel—its own story.
It connects Kanawha City to a broader network of neighborhoods working together to elevate Charleston’s commercial and cultural life.
📍 Where You’ll See the Brand
This identity will begin appearing throughout Kanawha City:
- On storefronts and business doors
- On CUW updates, newsletters, and district reports
- On social media posts highlighting progress and events
- At Village After Hours gatherings and future networking opportunities
- As inspiration for future public art and beautification projects
In marketing materials that support local businesses and tell the district’s story
This brand becomes the rallying point—a symbol for residents, business owners, and partners to proudly embrace.
✨ What’s Coming Next
The launch of this brand marks just the beginning.
In the coming months, expect:
🌱 More ways to get involved in shaping the district’s future
🎨 Creative public art and placemaking ideas
🏪 New approaches to strengthening commercial buildings and supporting local businesses
🤝 Deeper collaboration between talented residents, CUW, and the City of Charleston
🎉 Events, initiatives, and celebrations that bring the community together
A new era is beginning in Kanawha City—one built on unity, creativity, and a shared belief in what this district can be.
🌳 Stay Tuned. The Best Is Just Beginning.
This is the start of something special.
A movement.
A vision.
A village.
Welcome to the Kanawha City Village Business District.
Let’s build it—together.
