DEVELOPMENT
Accepting change when you can’t stop it in a “tear-down” neighborhood
This is the second part in a two-part series. Read the first story here
Charlotte has 56 “tear-down” neighborhoods: Here’s a portrait of one
This is the first part in a two-part series. Read the second story here
What’s on our city’s wish list? See some gifts for Charlotte
It’s hard shopping for the city that has it all: Gleaming office towers, a new-ish light rail line, a booming population and one of the world’s busiest airports. But that doesn’t mean Charlotte couldn’t still use a few gifts this holiday season. After all, despite the city’s obvious and explosive growth, there are still plenty […]
How to brand a region: Searching for authentic identity in the Uwharries
Rural communities around Charlotte are looking for new economic engines. Urban residents are looking for more outdoor recreation. That provides an opportunity for communities around Charlotte to use their public lands and waterways to fuel growth. And two areas in the region that were ahead of the curve offer lessons for other communities trying to […]
Homegrown economic development: Turning to entrepreneurship
A string of high-profile business relocations and corporate expansions have boosted Charlotte in recent months, from a Lowe’s technology hub with 2,000 employees to the headquarters of international firm Honeywell to the merged bank Truist moving to Charlotte. At the same time, local leaders have also been trying to increase support for entrepreneurs. In 2017, […]
There’s a housing affordability crisis in rural areas, too
Charlotte has struggled with housing affordability in recent years, as the city faces rising rents and home prices driven by rapid growth and low supply. But urban areas are not the only places grappling with these challenges, even though affordable housing is typically seen as an urban problem. Rural areas in the Carolinas Urban-Rural Connection […]
The changing economic development landscape
“Regionalism” has become something of a public policy bromide these days — an unwritten assumption that informs the planning, economic and growth decisions that supersede any one political jurisdiction. But what is easy to say can be hard to do. For the Carolinas Urban-Rural Connection project, a two-year effort to understand the distinct ways Charlotte […]
Farms and sprawl: Conservationists worry they’re losing the battle
About 45 minutes from Charlotte in neighboring Cabarrus County, the owners of 1,000-acre Porter Farms raise chickens and pigs on part of their land. The chickens are sold to Tysons Foods, and the pigs become sausage, pork chops and spare ribs for Smithfield Foods. Another part of the property is a cattle farm, and since […]
Ron and Nancy Bryant: From activism to stewardship
This story is one of seven vignettes in the series Rural by Choice: Navigating Identity in the Uwharries. Ron and Nancy Bryant met at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Charlotte in the 1980s. “I was sitting in the second pew and noticed this man in the row behind me,” Nancy said. A Winston-Salem native, Ron […]
Chappell Russell and Justin Foley: Trying to recreate the South End lifestyle in a rural town
This story is one of seven vignettes in the series Rural by Choice: Navigating Identity in the Uwharries. Chappell Russell and Justin Foley were living the millennial dream. They met at Appalachian State. He worked for a large CPA firm in uptown Charlotte. She helped run a small dog-training business. They had an apartment in […]