Charlotte Region
Charlotte is ‘on the cusp’ of its first true regional transit plan
The Charlotte region is taking concrete steps towards building a regional transit system that crosses county lines, but plenty of big questions remain. Chief among them: Who will pay? Charlotte Area Transit System planners are starting design work on the Silver Line. The new light rail will potentially run from Stallings through Matthews, around uptown […]
Changing with a changing region and university
In the spring of 1967, Norm Schul was an assistant professor of geography at UNC Greensboro focusing on urban studies when his chancellor asked him to attend a gathering in Charlotte of business leaders, government officials and academics to discuss some of the big policy issues then facing the state’s urbanizing Piedmont. Sponsored by Duke […]
As cities grow, former hamlets become booming suburbs
Population growth in Charlotte and Raleigh continues apace, driving rapid growth into areas nearby. Example: The historic city of Hickory is now smaller than the former hamlet of Huntersville.
When downtowns come alive again
SHELBY — If you’re thinking downtowns are dead, you haven’t been paying attention lately. I recently got an earful of downtown success stories from some of North Carolina’s smaller cities and towns, where residents have worked hard for decades to bring life back to once-hollow downtowns. The occasion was the annual North Carolina Main Street […]