Articles

By Asha Ellison
Do you ever wonder what resources might mitigate the persistent health disparities faced by Black families in Mecklenburg County? Curious about the potential of urban farming to address food insecurity or if public funds are equitably spent on Charlotte’s capital improvement projects? Have you ever questioned the role Latino fathers play in their families, how it impacts the family’s well-being, and how that role even came to be? 

These questions provide a glimpse into some of the topics the sixth cohort of Gambrell Faculty Fellows will study this year with support from The Gambrell Foundation and the Charlotte Urban Institute […]

By Katie Zager
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, thousands of workers were directed to work from home. The change was abrupt. And, at the time, there was no way to predict how long remote work would stick around.

To this day, there is much uncertainty about the future of remote work. What we do know, however, is the work-from-home shift has made a lasting impact on our communities […]

By Lori Thomas, Ph.D.
Last week, the Institute + Data Trust celebrated the end of a successful investment campaign to support the development of an enduring community data infrastructure. The campaign was the first in the Data Trust’s 20-year history as a nonprofit organization. The celebration and demonstration of our new web portal mark a transition from an […]

By Charlotte Urban Institute
The Charlotte Urban Institute (Institute) + Charlotte Regional Data Trust (Data Trust) have studied the growth and challenges of our 14-county region for decades, working closely with community partners and other diverse stakeholders on issues ranging from homelessness to preserving our environmental resources. We exist to equip changemakers in our communities and region with data and information that kindles community transformation and […]

By Eric Moore, Ph.D.
North Carolina public schools reported 35,282 students experienced some type of “inadequate” living situation during the 2022-23 school year. Of the students in these living situations, ranging from residing in an overcrowded dwelling to being homeless, 4,815 were students of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). Given the increasing number of students identified as McKinney-Vento in the last few years, Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region partnered with the Charlotte Urban Institute to study the potential implications of homeownership on childhood […]

By Bridget Anderson
Data tells the story of our lives. It is gathered from our Apple watches, Netflix selections, and grocery membership cards.

What story does your data tell?

The stories our data tell are of great importance, as data helps us understand ourselves and make informed decisions for the future. This is also true of nonprofits, who use data to […]

By Katie Zager and Mary Ann Priester
Are homes in your neighborhood getting bigger or smaller? Are residents in a specific community able to access essential services, such as grocery stores, or public transportation? Where should our community building efforts be focused? The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer can help answer these questions and […]

By Charlotte Urban Institute
Liz Morrell ’11 M.A., ’18 Ph.D. was recently named director of public policy research for the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, a unit within the Division of Academic Affairs.

In this role, Morrell will lead a program of applied public policy research and analysis for the Urban Institute with a primary focus on the local and regional policies related to determinants of a good quality of life for Charlotte-area residents. Key areas include housing, transportation, health and mental health, education, the economy, the environment, civic engagement and public safety. She also will pursue funding opportunities that engage the institute’s research staff and University faculty in research that informs regional policy […]

By Charlotte Urban Institute
With less than 30 days until Election Day in the United States, the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute supports our partners at the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (CJC) in their efforts to ensure all Charlotte residents are equipped with reputable information to be civically engaged. 

By Katie Zager
Income inequality is the uneven distribution of income in a population. It concerns the percentage of money people take home and the percentage of total dollars they earn in a given year — and it can have major consequences on health outcomes, financial wellbeing, social connectedness, and more. Here’s what income inequality looks like in our region […]

By Eric Moore, Ph.D.
Identifying corporate landlords, sometimes referred to as real estate investment trusts (REITs) or institutional investors, can be a complicated process. They can also have dozens of subsidiaries with unique names that mask the actual size of their portfolio. 

So, how can we differentiate between “independent operations”, individuals who own one or two properties often under Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), mom-and-pop investors, those who own between three and nine properties, and the more large-scale operations of corporate landlords? […]

By Charlotte Urban Institute
The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute seeks the sixth cohort of faculty fellows to research issues related to economic mobility in the Charlotte region, with support from The Gambrell Foundation. And for the first time, the program will accept applications for a Senior Faculty Fellow who will support Gambrell Fellows and plan programming with Institute staff […]