As urban areas boom while many rural areas and small towns struggle, experts and local leaders are looking at success stories like Shelby’s embrace of its musical heritage as a roadmap to revitalization.
The Carolinas Urban-Rural ConnectionA special project from the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute |
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That’s the topic of UNC-TV’s ncIMPACT town hall program. The show, focusing on fostering connections to help communities that have lost manufacturing and textile jobs, aired Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m.
The show features two panels in Shelby, profiled as part of the Carolinas Urban-Rural Connection project. The town, once devastated by the textile industry’s departure, has turned to its rich history of music to build tourism attractions and pride in its local identity. Passionate local leaders spent more than a decade developing the Earl Scruggs Center and the Don Gibson Theatre, and they’re now at the forefront of the effort to redefine Shelby.
The show features UNC Charlotte Urban Institute Director Jeff Michael, as well as other local leaders and developers who have made the Shelby revitalization happen.
Check out the full ncIMPACT program below:
