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Mary Newsom

Biography

Mary is a lifelong newspaper journalist who spent several decades at The Charlotte Observer as an editorial board member and columnist, concentrating on Charlotte regional urban and suburban growth, planning, urban design, transportation and land preservation. She left the Observer and joined the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute in 2011. She had a year-long Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University 2007-08, and in 2005-06 was a Knight Fellow in Community Building at the University of Miami. Newsom retired from the insitute in 2018 as Director of Urban Policy Initiatives, and is now a freelance writer in Charlotte. 

Education

A.B. Journalism UNC Chapel Hill

Expertise

Urban and suburban issues, Charlotte region and North Carolina politics and government, writing, editing and journalism.

Stories by Mary Newsom

Celebrate Jane Jacobs with 2 neighborhood walks
April 10, 2013
On Saturday, May 4, PlanCharlotte.org is sponsoring two Jane Jacobs Walks, part of a movement to honor the author and activist by getting people out walking a city neighborhood. The walks will be led...

The measure of a metro
April 2, 2013
In January, Charlotte had 1.8 million people. Today it has 2.3 million people. And no, there was no airlift of half a million residents from the Rust Belt or anywhere else. How can a city gain a half...

Bill to limit local zoning powers: Two views
March 20, 2013
A bill before the N.C. General Assembly would restrict cities' and towns' power to put design standards into zoning ordinances applying to residential development. We invited writers from opposite...

Contest: Show us the places you love
March 13, 2013
What places in our region have a hold on your heart? For our first anniversary, PlanCharlotte.org is sponsoring a photo contest for our readers. (Photo: Nancy Pierce)

Measure to encourage low-income housing wins council OK
February 19, 2013
The Charlotte City Council passed a measure to to try to encourage developers to build low-income housing in affluent neighborhoods, heard pro- and con- comments about a proposed outlet mall, and...