Welcome to the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute

We are a nonpartisan, applied research and community outreach institute at UNC Charlotte, seeking solutions to the social, economic and environmental challenges facing our communities.
50th Anniversary Logo
A mowed yard, traditional fence posts, managed grasslands and a small, forested mountain. For many, the landscape is a vital part of what makes the Uwharries home. Photo: Ruth Ann Grissom.

Rural by Choice: Navigating identity in the Uwharries

Oct 14, 2019, Ruth Ann Grissom

The narrative around rural areas has often held that people need to leave for a better chance to find success, typically in the city. But for many, leaving the place they love and call home never really feels like an option.

Here are seven stories of people who are turning that narrative on its head. 

Read more

Charlotte suburbs grow faster as developers seek cheap land

Oct 09, 2019, Nathan Griffin
Ashli Stokes, Jeff Michael and Jeff Gillman stand near the planned trail outside the new Urban Institute offices.

UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens’ Historical Trail to interpret cultures

Oct 11, 2019, Robin Rothberg
A 2.2-mile section of Carolina Thread Trail weaves through a 358-acre permanently conserved area that’s protected by Catawba Lands Conservancy (CLC) within the Girl Scouts’ Dale Earnhardt Environmental Leadership Campus at Oak Springs in Iredell County. The trail is called Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council Trail. Photo: Nancy Pierce

Forging connections across the Carolinas – one greenway, trail and waterway at a time

Oct 08, 2019, Celeste Smith
Bluegrass & Old-Time Jam Session on the square in Shelby, at the Earl Scruggs Center. Photo: Nancy Pierce

Finding the Music, Part 1: A town reaches into its past to fuel a revival

Oct 07, 2019, David Perlmutt
Paddlers on the South Fork of the Catawba River, which was once an industrial powerhouse when Gaston County was a major player in the textile industry. Photo: Nancy Pierce.

From textiles to trails: A river’s changing path to prosperity

Oct 07, 2019, Ely Portillo
Youth visit Growing Change in Scotland County, an aquaponics program operated by Smyrna UMC and Wingate UMC in Union County, and Wingate University, to learn about college enrollment opportunities. Photo: Nathan Burton, Resourceful Communities/ The Conservation Fund

How does philanthropy vary across, and connect, the greater Charlotte region?

Sep 30, 2019, Brian Dabson

Visit the institute’s resources

PlanCharlotte.org
Charlotte Regional Indicators

Photo gallery: Transforming the South Fork of the Catawba River and its towns
Cramerton has turned to the South Fork of the Catawba River, which once powered mills and was known as a hotbed of pollution, to help power the town's revival in the wake of the textile industry. 

Donate

If you value the work of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute as we analyze trends in the Charlotte region and the Carolinas, consider a tax-deductible gift to help sustain our operations. We appreciate your support.

Donate here

Follow the institute

twitter facebook instagram rss