Articles

[title_1]
Crane-fly orchid: Nature's Plain Jane flower
   August 22, 2012
Crystal Cockman
While walking on my grandparents’ property last week, I was fortunate to stumble upon one of the most common and understated orchids in bloom – the Crane-fly orchid (Tipularia discolor). Read more


[title_1]
Turn uptown’s street canyons green
   August 21, 2012

Tracey Crowe
People in the Charlotte region take pride in how green the area is. Yet we're losing trees and their helpful pollution-fighting effects. New research shows that shrubs, ivy and other plants can reduce street-level concentrations of key air pollutants. So why not turn our blank walls green? Read more


[title_1]
Some ‘zombie’ subdivisions rising from dead
   August 17, 2012

In the wake of the financial crash, many real estate developments across the Charlotte region appear frozen in various stages of construction. But a few of these so-called “zombie subdivisions” may be reviving, as developers regain their financial footing and, in some cases, propose new plans. (Click here for a photo gallery of abandoned subdivisions in and around Charlotte.) Read more


[title_1]
City pushes Carolina Theatre rivals to work together on plans
   August 16, 2012

Charlotte city officials are pushing two groups with competing visions for the future of the Carolina Theatre to work together to help save the history-rich venue that’s been vacant, on a prominent uptown corner, for more than 30 years. Read more


[title_1]
Hispanics in N.C.: Big numbers in small towns
   August 15, 2012

In 2000, Hispanic/Latinos accounted for only 4.71 percent of the N.C. population. By 2010 the percentage was 8.39, making the state's rate of Hispanic growth sixth-fastest in the nation. This has been an important part of growth in urban areas in the state. But for a number of smaller towns, the recent growth in Hispanic population has made the difference between growth and decline. Read more


[title_1]
A burning question for Sun Belt cities
   August 13, 2012
Mary Newsom
It was a hot night in a hot city the day after the hottest month ever recorded in the United States. By 7 the temperature had slid from the 90s to the high 80s, as I pulled up to a 1960s split-level on a half-acre lot in a subdivision of 2,450 single-family homes. Inside, a small group sat overlooking a back yard of mature trees, talking about their neighborhood’s future. Read more


[title_1]
Home values in region: Clusters of highs, lows
   August 8, 2012

How much are homes in your neighborhood worth? The era of upside-down mortgages and foreclosures has left homeowners across the country anxious about home values – theirs and their neighbors'. In the midst of this housing market upheaval, explosive growth in the Charlotte region has reshaped residential patterns. Read more


[title_1]
Unlikely habitat for a unique herptile
   August 7, 2012
Crystal Cockman
I recently had the opportunity to help survey a unique and rare critter – one that frequently lives in places most of us would consider far from pristine. The bog turtle, smallest of all North American turtles, is found only in the eastern United States, and spends most of its time buried in mud. Read more


[title_1]
Latte-free zones hint at demographic shifts
   August 1, 2012
Mae Israel
Looking at where some upscale retail companies locate provides a way of highlighting income and demographic disparities. Charlotte's Starbucks-free, Panera-free and Harris Teeter-free zones coincide with the city's highest-poverty neighborhoods. The same holds true, by and large, for much of the state. Read more


[title_1]
Eastland Mall: What’s next? Some options
   July 31, 2012

The city of Charlotte decided last month to buy Eastland Mall, which had fallen on hard times. So, what are the possibilities?  What should happen at the site? How can the 80 acres be used to improve the area, connect neighborhoods and serve the people who live nearby? We offer examples from other cities. Read more