General News
Hope is the thing with leaves
Imagine what it would be like to help establish a brand new national park. One that would be larger than the combined acreage of the Everglades, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Teton, Canyonlands, Mount Ranier, North Cascades, Badlands, Olympic, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, Denali and Great Smoky Mountains. One that would be spread uniformly across the country instead […]
An ocean bird pays an unexpected visit to Stanly County
My sister and I once decided it would be a fine idea to tour the Mojave Desert in May. Being hard-headed women from the Uwharries, we forged ahead even after the Santa Ana winds kicked up and pushed temperatures into triple digits. The heat made for a memorable, if sometimes freakish, trip. Along the way, […]
Austin voters approve $7.1B transit plan. Is Charlotte next?
When it comes to Charlotte’s transportation ambitions for the coming decades, the biggest question is simple: How will the city pay for it all? Austin, Tex., could point to an answer. Voters there approved a $7.1 billion transit plan on Election Day this year, with 58% supporting the referendum. The plan will raise property taxes […]
Small towns like Badin have lessons for big cities like Charlotte
As Charlotte continues its quest to become a more urban and cosmopolitan city, is it possible that the small towns and former mill villages dotting the land around Charlotte have something to teach us about how to solve some of the biggest and most pressing needs facing our big cities and suburbs today? Bill Fulton, […]
A glimpse at Charlotte’s future from a piece of the past
It probably wasn’t the setting Charlotte planners would have picked to unveil their vision for the future: A parking lot off Independence Boulevard, acres of scarred asphalt surrounded by a tangle of some of the city’s least pedestrian-friendly streets. But in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, an in-person event at a densely packed brewery […]
Students rethink how and what we memorialize
“Not many events inspire our historical imagination and force us to critically think about our past the way a falling monument does.” Associate Professor of Sculpture Marek Ranis, who grew up behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland, has seen monuments go up and come down in countries like his homeland. But the intense evaluation […]
Join us: A conversation about issues impacting our communities
UNC Charlotte in collaboration with the UNC Press presents: ‘As a Matter of Fact’ – Conversations with UNC Press Authors Join Dr. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Assistant Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, on Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. in conversation with UNC Charlotte’s Dr. Lori Thomas about Taylor’s 2019 book, Race for Profit: How […]
NoDa perceived: past, present and future of a mill village
Not that long ago, a few aging blocks in a declining, working-class neighborhood revived from the dust and grit of the textile mill era as Charlotte’s home-grown arts district. By the mid-1990s, galleries and off-beat music venues replaced empty storefronts. Nightlife began to flourish, and the acronym “NoDa” took hold, affirming a new identity. In […]
In spite of a pandemic, city planning isn’t slowing down
With the coronavirus crisis in its fifth month, Charlotte planning director Taiwo Jaiyeoba has noticed something odd: Despite massive disruptions, his staff is actually completing some work more quickly. Plan reviews are faster. Advisory committees now meeting virtually are seeing 100% attendance. And developers have asked if they can continue to have the option of […]
Coronavirus uncertainty impacts local farm economies
No doubt, 2020 will be known as a year of change; good, bad, and lasting. The global coronavirus pandemic has forced shifts and pivots in almost all industries and facets of life. The food system is no exception. As the resiliency of the local food system is challenged, some farmers and food producers will find […]