Regions

Charlotte Urban Institute study finds uneven decline in Fayetteville gun violence

By Asha Ellison

Though gun violence in Fayetteville is still often discussed in headlines and is subject to public debate, a closer look at the data tells a more nuanced story. In 2024, the City of Fayetteville commissioned the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute to further assess gun violence across the city.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the Institute analyzed crime data, community focus groups in ShotSpotter neighborhoods, and cost estimates to better understand both the reality of violence and how it is perceived across the city […]

Identifying the frog calls of spring

June is almost upon us, and the rush of activity in the ponds, streams, and vernal pools of our state is already well underway. For many native frogs, it’s breeding season. Right now is a great time to experience the variety of nighttime songs that signal the return of summer in our waterways. The best […]

Growing peas and finding peace in the Piedmont

The English peas are finished. Given the long spell of mild weather we’ve enjoyed this year, I’d hoped this cool-weather crop might last a bit longer. Alas, they still flamed out in a matter of weeks. English peas (Pisum sativum) are the very essence of a Piedmont spring – sweet and tender and all too […]

The effects of COVID-19 on architecture: Predictions from tomorrow’s designers

This story is published in partnership with the UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in the middle of the spring semester, it added a whole new layer of significance to the assignments in Assistant Professor of Architectural History Lidia Klein’s spring seminar. The curriculum for the graduate course, Architecture […]

Pandemic highlights food chain workers’ precarious and essential positions

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, news headlines have called attention to both “essential workers” in the food system, such as farmworkers and grocery store employees, and extensive job losses for food system workers, primarily in retail and restaurants. There are requests for contributions to virtual tip jars and for customers to buy gift cards from small […]

COVID-19 highlights educational inequities

The novel coronavirus, better known as COVID-19, has changed the world as we know it. This holds true for the field of education, particularly K-12 schools in North Carolina and across the U.S. COVID-19 has exposed glaring educational inequities that were present before the pandemic, and, in many ways, have been amplified during this crisis. […]

A rare encounter with a beautiful bird this spring

If you’ve spent any time in the woods recently, you’ve probably heard some of the neotropical migratory birds who come here in the summertime to breed. I’ve been hearing black-and-white warblers, and last week heard my first wood thrush of the year. I’ve also heard hooded warblers, northern parulas, scarlet and summer tanagers and red-eyed […]

10 key questions for public administrators in the time of COVID-19

There will certainly be scores of studies and articles for years to come about lessons for public administrators from how our multiple levels and units of government managed the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. An important place to start is asking the right set of questions. To assist me with this task, we have the good fortune […]

Over-65 population varies across North Carolina

The coronavirus crisis is growing across North Carolina, with a statewide stay-at-home order going into effect Monday, but the effects could be felt differently from place to place. One of the key risk factors for the disease and its severity is the age of people infected. Deaths appear far more common in elderly patients. The […]

See how many people in your neighborhood have taken the Census

The 2020 Census is crucial for making policy, assigning Congressional seats and divvying up resources for the decade to come, but it’s one of the many institutions facing a big challenge from the coronavirus. Census response forms were sent nationwide last week, inviting people to respond online. People who respond online, over the phone or […]