General News

By Charlotte Urban Institute
On Thursday, April 3, 2025, the Charlotte Urban Institute + Regional Data Trust hosted the fifth Schul Forum at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte. As a day of community data, attendees explored how local data and research can be used to make a difference in our lives and communities. More than 200 engaged and curious community members attended the event earning the Institute its highest Forum attendance to-date […]

By Tesho Akindele
I’ve been a lot of things in my life; a son, a brother, a nerdy engineering student, a professional soccer player, a husband, a father, and most recently…an urbanist. 

Most people have never heard the word urbanist before. When I say it, I see the intrigue, and often confusion, on their face as they wonder exactly what it means. 

Hearing “urban” sparks different reactions from different people. For some, it conjures up the beauty, energy, and endless opportunity that comes with life in a city. For others it means towering skyscrapers, overcrowding, and chaos. Urban is a word reserved for cities and is a word that stands in stark contrast to its suburban and rural counterparts. 

Urbanism carries the baggage of the word “urban,” and is therefore dismissed as an idea that doesn’t impact those living outside the major cities. 

But this is not a movement reserved for megacities […]

By Sydney Idzikowski and Ellissa Brooks Nelson, Ph.D.
Access to emergency funds keeps Charlotte students on track for positive educational outcomes.

Access to emergency funds keeps Charlotte students on track for positive educational outcomes.

SEF assists students by providing monetary support when an unexpected, immediate, and unavoidable life emergency occurs with  unforeseen expenses. SEF is designed to provide needed financial relief for situations such as accidents, illness, death of a family member, fire damage, need for temporary housing, or natural disaster. The Fund was first established to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains an important resource for students […]

By Sydney Idzikowski and Ellissa Brooks Nelson, Ph.D.
Access to emergency funds keeps Charlotte students on track for positive educational outcomes.

Access to emergency funds keeps Charlotte students on track for positive educational outcomes.

SEF assists students by providing monetary support when an unexpected, immediate, and unavoidable life emergency occurs with  unforeseen expenses. SEF is designed to provide needed financial relief for situations such as accidents, illness, death of a family member, fire damage, need for temporary housing, or natural disaster. The Fund was first established to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains an important resource for students […]

By Charlotte Urban Institute
We are often swimming upstream, contending not only with the inherent complexity of the challenges we face, but increasingly with the force of misinformation and disinformation on the topics that matter most to our communities. Much of the data and information flowing around us isn’t immediately applicable to our organizational or community contexts. The raw data needs interpretation and application; the information needs fact-checked. Despite being immersed, we often ask so what?! or seek a guide as we navigate crowded and unfamiliar waterways.

This year’s Schul Forum, on Thursday, April 3 at the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City, will be a day of local data, with a so what?! focus that explores how data and research can be used to make a difference in our lives and our communities. Pre-forum Lunch & Learn sessions will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the Forum begins at 1 p.m. Here’s what attendees can expect […]

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 […]