Welcome to the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute

We are a nonpartisan, applied research and community outreach institute at UNC Charlotte, seeking solutions to the social, economic and environmental challenges facing our communities.

Latest Articles & Publications

Two construction workers building an interior at an unfinished building

Data & Economy

What does the 'Great Resignation' mean for Charlotte?

Sydney Idzikowski January 25, 2022

Planning & Development

More drive-thrus near the light rail? City decisions worry advocates

Ely Portillo January 19, 2022

A bicyclist riding in a protected lane with a concrete barrier in uptown Charlotte.

Transit Time

Finally, biking in uptown without fear

Ely Portillo January 13, 2022

Research

An ‘economic halo’ for rural churches in North Carolina

Ely Portillo January 11, 2022

Cars parked on a surface lot in uptown Charlotte

Transportation & Development

Podcast: How parking can strangle a city, and what to do about it

Ely Portillo January 5, 2022

Environment

Garden journals offer a window into our changing world

Ruth Ann Grissom January 4, 2022

Our Work

Programs

From mapping key community indicators to hosting walks that help local residents explore pressing social issues, our programs focus on building regional understanding and connections.

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Data

Data & Economy

What does the 'Great Resignation' mean for Charlotte?

Sydney Idzikowski January 25, 2022

Research

An ‘economic halo’ for rural churches in North Carolina

Ely Portillo January 11, 2022

A screenshot of a choropleth map of Mecklenburg County, NC, showing vacant land

Data

Explore everything from residential segregation to how much trash you generate with new maps

Ely Portillo December 15, 2021

Segregation & Section 8

How are Housing Choice Vouchers distributed across Southeastern Cities?

Providence Adu Katie Zager October 29, 2021

A map showing Black population by neighborhood area in Charlotte

Data

New maps let you explore patterns of income, racial segregation and more

Ely Portillo September 20, 2021

Mixed-use development at the 36th Street light rail station in NoDA. Photo: Nathan Griffin

Planning & Development

Part 1: How the Blue Line Extension changed Charlotte development

Nathan Griffin September 7, 2021

Issues

The Charlotte region is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic areas in the nation, with rural counties, bedroom communities and suburbs, as well as the largest city in North Carolina and rapidly changing areas in upstate South Carolina. The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute focuses on issues of growth, change and equity in this complex region.

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Researcher Spotlight

Chloe Vercruysse is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UNC Charlotte. She holds a Bachelor of International Business Administration degree from Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale in France and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Institut Supérieur de Commerce International de Dunkerque in France. Her doctoral journey at Charlotte provided her the opportunity to work on a variety of multidisciplinary collaborative research projects involving scholars across campus with backgrounds in public health, social work, nursing, health psychology, economics, political science and public administration.
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Support Our Work

If you value the work of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute as we analyze trends in the Charlotte region and the Carolinas, consider a tax-deductible gift to help sustain our operations. We appreciate your support.

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Office of Urban Research and Community Engagement

The Urban Institute is a part of the Office of Urban Research and Community Engagement (formerly known as Metropolitan Studies), which is a unit of Academic Affairs. Our mission is to provide community-based research services to local, regional, and state-level clients. Off-campus partners include local governments, non-profit organizations, and community groups.

UNC Charlotte Urban Institute