diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.cpp b/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.cpp
index ba78f33..e178c13 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2018 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2023 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 namespace ndn {
 namespace util {
 
-IndentedStream::IndentedStream(std::ostream& os, const std::string& indent)
+IndentedStream::IndentedStream(std::ostream& os, std::string_view indent)
   : std::ostream(&m_buffer)
   , m_buffer(os, indent)
 {
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
   flush();
 }
 
-IndentedStream::StreamBuf::StreamBuf(std::ostream& os, const std::string& indent)
+IndentedStream::StreamBuf::StreamBuf(std::ostream& os, std::string_view indent)
   : m_output(os)
   , m_indent(indent)
 {
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@
 int
 IndentedStream::StreamBuf::sync()
 {
-  typedef boost::iterator_range<std::string::const_iterator> StringView;
+  using StringView = boost::iterator_range<std::string::const_iterator>;
 
-  const std::string& output = str();
+  std::string output = str();
   std::vector<StringView> splitOutput;
   boost::split(splitOutput, output, boost::is_any_of("\n"));
 
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.hpp b/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.hpp
index 7b05960..b2d5059 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/indented-stream.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2021 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2023 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 class IndentedStream : public std::ostream
 {
 public:
-  IndentedStream(std::ostream& os, const std::string& indent);
+  IndentedStream(std::ostream& os, std::string_view indent);
 
   ~IndentedStream() override;
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
   class StreamBuf : public std::stringbuf
   {
   public:
-    StreamBuf(std::ostream& os, const std::string& indent);
+    StreamBuf(std::ostream& os, std::string_view indent);
 
     int
     sync() override;
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/logger.cpp b/ndn-cxx/util/logger.cpp
index 4ebdf15..c9bea26 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/logger.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/logger.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2022 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2023 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
 #include "ndn-cxx/util/logger.hpp"
 #include "ndn-cxx/util/logging.hpp"
 
-#include <cstring> // for std::strspn()
-
 namespace ndn {
 namespace util {
 
@@ -49,11 +47,11 @@
     return os << "ALL";
   }
 
-  NDN_THROW(std::invalid_argument("unknown log level " + to_string(to_underlying(level))));
+  NDN_THROW(std::invalid_argument("unknown log level " + std::to_string(to_underlying(level))));
 }
 
 LogLevel
-parseLogLevel(const std::string& s)
+parseLogLevel(std::string_view s)
 {
   if (s == "FATAL")
     return LogLevel::FATAL;
@@ -72,24 +70,19 @@
   else if (s == "ALL")
     return LogLevel::ALL;
 
-  NDN_THROW(std::invalid_argument("unrecognized log level '" + s + "'"));
+  NDN_THROW(std::invalid_argument("unrecognized log level '" + std::string(s) + "'"));
 }
 
-static bool
-isValidLoggerName(const std::string& name)
+static constexpr bool
+isValidLoggerName(std::string_view name)
 {
+  if (name.empty() || name.front() == '.' || name.back() == '.' ||
+      name.find("..") != std::string_view::npos) {
+    return false;
+  }
   // acceptable characters for Logger name
-  const char* okChars = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789~#%_<>.-";
-  if (std::strspn(name.c_str(), okChars) != name.size()) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  if (name.empty() || name.front() == '.' || name.back() == '.') {
-    return false;
-  }
-  if (name.find("..") != std::string::npos) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  return true;
+  constexpr std::string_view okChars{"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789~#%_<>.-"sv};
+  return name.find_first_not_of(okChars) == std::string_view::npos;
 }
 
 Logger::Logger(const char* name)
@@ -99,18 +92,17 @@
     NDN_THROW(std::invalid_argument("Logger name '" + m_moduleName + "' is invalid"));
   }
   this->setLevel(LogLevel::NONE);
-  this->add_attribute(log::module.get_name(), boost::log::attributes::constant<std::string>(m_moduleName));
+  this->add_attribute(log::module.get_name(), boost::log::attributes::constant(m_moduleName));
   Logging::get().addLoggerImpl(*this);
 }
 
 void
 Logger::registerModuleName(const char* name)
 {
-  std::string moduleName(name);
-  if (!isValidLoggerName(moduleName)) {
-    NDN_THROW(std::invalid_argument("Logger name '" + moduleName + "' is invalid"));
+  if (!isValidLoggerName(name)) {
+    NDN_THROW(std::invalid_argument("Logger name '"s + name + "' is invalid"));
   }
-  Logging::get().registerLoggerNameImpl(std::move(moduleName));
+  Logging::get().registerLoggerNameImpl(name);
 }
 
 } // namespace util
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/logger.hpp b/ndn-cxx/util/logger.hpp
index bdf1c07..3261b85 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/logger.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/logger.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2021 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2023 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@
 namespace ndn {
 namespace util {
 
-/** \brief Indicates the severity level of a log message.
+/**
+ * \brief Indicates the severity level of a log message.
  */
 enum class LogLevel {
   FATAL   = -1,   ///< fatal (will be logged unconditionally)
@@ -50,17 +51,19 @@
   ALL     = 255   ///< all messages
 };
 
-/** \brief Output LogLevel as a string.
- *  \throw std::invalid_argument unknown \p level
+/**
+ * \brief Output LogLevel as a string.
+ * \throw std::invalid_argument Unknown \p level
  */
 std::ostream&
 operator<<(std::ostream& os, LogLevel level);
 
-/** \brief Parse LogLevel from a string.
- *  \throw std::invalid_argument unknown level name
+/**
+ * \brief Parse LogLevel from a string.
+ * \throw std::invalid_argument Unknown level name
  */
 LogLevel
-parseLogLevel(const std::string& s);
+parseLogLevel(std::string_view s);
 
 namespace log {
 
@@ -69,10 +72,11 @@
 
 } // namespace log
 
-/** \brief Represents a log module in the logging facility.
+/**
+ * \brief Represents a log module in the logging facility.
  *
- *  \note Normally, loggers should be defined using #NDN_LOG_INIT, #NDN_LOG_MEMBER_INIT,
- *        or #NDN_LOG_MEMBER_INIT_SPECIALIZED.
+ * \note Normally, loggers should be defined using #NDN_LOG_INIT, #NDN_LOG_MEMBER_INIT,
+ *       or #NDN_LOG_MEMBER_INIT_SPECIALIZED.
  */
 class Logger : public boost::log::sources::severity_logger_mt<LogLevel>
 {
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.cpp b/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.cpp
index c789a7e..66355d6 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
 }
 
 Sha256&
-Sha256::operator<<(const std::string& str)
+Sha256::operator<<(std::string_view str)
 {
   update({reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(str.data()), str.size()});
   return *this;
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.hpp b/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.hpp
index 76a094e..2e7b09c 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/sha256.hpp
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
    * @throw Error the digest has already been finalized
    */
   Sha256&
-  operator<<(const std::string& str);
+  operator<<(std::string_view str);
 
   /**
    * @brief Add a uint64_t value to the digest calculation.
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.cpp b/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.cpp
index 011f967..ef7f85b 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2021 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2023 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 }
 
 shared_ptr<Buffer>
-fromHex(const std::string& hexString)
+fromHex(std::string_view hexString)
 {
   namespace tr = security::transform;
 
@@ -73,18 +73,17 @@
 }
 
 std::string
-escape(const std::string& str)
+escape(std::string_view str)
 {
   std::ostringstream os;
-  escape(os, str.data(), str.size());
+  escape(os, str);
   return os.str();
 }
 
 void
-escape(std::ostream& os, const char* str, size_t len)
+escape(std::ostream& os, std::string_view str)
 {
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
-    auto c = str[i];
+  for (auto c : str) {
     // Unreserved characters don't need to be escaped.
     if ((c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') ||
         (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') ||
@@ -102,18 +101,18 @@
 }
 
 std::string
-unescape(const std::string& str)
+unescape(std::string_view str)
 {
   std::ostringstream os;
-  unescape(os, str.data(), str.size());
+  unescape(os, str);
   return os.str();
 }
 
 void
-unescape(std::ostream& os, const char* str, size_t len)
+unescape(std::ostream& os, std::string_view str)
 {
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
-    if (str[i] == '%' && i + 2 < len) {
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < str.size(); ++i) {
+    if (str[i] == '%' && i + 2 < str.size()) {
       int hi = fromHexChar(str[i + 1]);
       int lo = fromHexChar(str[i + 2]);
 
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.hpp b/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.hpp
index 4447df4..9aa58c9 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/util/string-helper.hpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
  * @throw StringHelperError Input string is invalid
  */
 shared_ptr<Buffer>
-fromHex(const std::string& hexString);
+fromHex(std::string_view hexString);
 
 /**
  * @brief Convert (the least significant nibble of) @p n to the corresponding hex character.
@@ -152,10 +152,17 @@
  * @see RFC 3986 section 2
  */
 [[nodiscard]] std::string
-escape(const std::string& str);
+escape(std::string_view str);
 
 void
-escape(std::ostream& os, const char* str, size_t len);
+escape(std::ostream& os, std::string_view str);
+
+[[deprecated("use the string_view overload")]]
+inline void
+escape(std::ostream& os, const char* str, size_t len)
+{
+  escape(os, {str, len});
+}
 
 /**
  * @brief Decode a percent-encoded string.
@@ -172,10 +179,17 @@
  * @see RFC 3986 section 2
  */
 [[nodiscard]] std::string
-unescape(const std::string& str);
+unescape(std::string_view str);
 
 void
-unescape(std::ostream& os, const char* str, size_t len);
+unescape(std::ostream& os, std::string_view str);
+
+[[deprecated("use the string_view overload")]]
+inline void
+unescape(std::ostream& os, const char* str, size_t len)
+{
+  unescape(os, {str, len});
+}
 
 } // namespace ndn