General News
Getting around: A snapshot of transportation policy in the United States and Greater Charlotte region
By Liz Morrell, Ph.D.
Transportation, whether on foot, bus, train, or car is a lens that magnifies larger societal dynamics. On the one hand, it’s one of those near-universal experiences that unites us; yet, as with housing, education, and health, we experience it differently depending on who we are. Conflicts arise when our individual subjectivities clash with each other, rather than co-incorporate.
In Charlotte, 3.7% of households lack reliable access to a personal vehicle. This is well below the national average of 8.6%. That statistic underscores what many know – ours is a car-dependent city. Ridership has fallen for both bus and light rail in recent years and, for many, public transportation is a curiosity or last resort, rather than a vital civic amenity.
There are two challenges with this […]
Understanding corporate landlords: Where are they in Mecklenburg County?
By Eric Moore, Ph.D.
Over the past year, we’ve gone deep into the world of corporate landlords and their growing footprint in Mecklenburg County. And we now have a new method to track these elusive entities, uncovering approximately 145 corporate investors who own at least 15 single-family homes each.
It turns out these investors control nearly 7.5% of all single-family homes in the county, far more than you might expect. But this is just the beginning. In the third and final installment of the “Understanding corporate landlords” series, we explore the changing landscape of corporate home ownership […]
Participatory data governance: How do we know whether a use of data is a good idea?
By Sydney Idzikowski
What is participatory governance and why it is important? What does it looks like at the Data Trust. Dive into the discussion here […]
Apply for the Gambrell Faculty Fellowship
By Charlotte Urban Institute
The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute seeks the seventh cohort of faculty fellows to research issues related to economic mobility and quality of life arenas in the Charlotte region, with support from The Gambrell Foundation […]
Unlock the power of administrative data for public good
By Sydney Idzikowski, Jamaal Kinard, Lori Thomas, Ph.D., and Jenny Ward
At the Charlotte Regional Data Trust (Data Trust), the data we hold in trust are about people and their lives.
These data can play a role in understanding challenges and informing solutions in an increasingly complex world. Addressing pervasive social challenges such as poverty, housing instability, and health disparities requires a holistic understanding that transcends the doors of individual agencies. This is precisely what the Data Trust is designed to do.
The Data Trust is a community-university partnership, built as a nonprofit organization, housed at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute to bridge fragmented administrative data. We do this while prioritizing ethical data use and equipping changemakers such as researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders to develop more effective, collaborative solutions to community challenges […]
Mapping banks & barriers: Visualizing financial disparities in Mecklenburg County
By Srajan Rastogi
As a high school student and as associate director of the National 4-H Geospatial Leadership Team, I’ve always been fascinated with how data is used to explore new avenues of growth and challenge for our communities. Living in Mecklenburg County, I’ve grown up surrounded by signs of economic progress. After all, it is home to more than 1.2 million people and, at its center, the city of Charlotte stands as a major financial hub, housing Fortune 500 companies and a booming business sector.
But behind this growth and prosperity, I began to notice challenges lurking in the shadows – especially for communities that do not receive the same spotlight on resources that their wealthier neighbors do. I looked beyond our progress and asked myself a simple question: in a region known for its growing banking sector, how many residents actually have access to financial services through these institutions […]
The social media space: Findings from the 2024 Women + Girls Research Alliance Leadership Café
By Mia Gaddy
Women and girls in Charlotte-Mecklenburg believe social media can be beneficial when used safely. The findings from the 2024 Women + Girls Research Alliance Leadership Café tell us more about the […]
Plan for your nonprofit’s future with Evaluation Explorations
By Annalise Tolley
At the Charlotte Urban Institute, we see the amazing work of local nonprofits every day. They house community members, inspire children to pursue higher education, and empower single-parent families to thrive. It’s clear: Charlotte has no shortage of dedicated leaders invested in our […]
The Importance of Investing in Ourselves: Reflections from the IDEA pilot
By Bridget Anderson
When was the last time you took a break and intentionally invested in yourself? What happened when you did ?
Which Mecklenburg County neighborhoods have grown the most?
By Katie Zager
One of the questions we get most at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute often relates to population growth–which places are growing fastest, and why? These inquiries often relate to county or city/town population estimates, which the U.S. Census Bureau releases on an annual basis. But we decided to dive a little deeper, and take a look at neighborhoods in Mecklenburg County, using the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer […]