Articles

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How green is your ‘green’ tree?
   December 13, 2012
Ruth Ann Grissom
What if you want a “green” Christmas tree but don’t share my sentimental attachment to scrawny, prickly cedars cut down from the fields – or don’t have access to one? “Reduce, reuse and recycle” might point you toward a fake tree to be used year after year, but with Christmas trees, the issues are a little more complicated. Read more


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Mecklenburg charter schools: Maps, data and more
   December 11, 2012

Charter school students make up less than 6 percent of Mecklenburg’s public school student population. However, the county leads the state in the number of students attending charter schools. Interactive maps show where schools are and how they compare to each other. Read more


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We live with ghosts of cities past
   December 6, 2012

Ghosts and cities often occur together, and not only in fiction. Kevin Lynch writes about how we "read" cities. Many descriptions of our surroundings are accompanied by the ghosts of what used to be there. Changes can leave scars on our mental map. Read more


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Matthews at the crossroads: Can it grow up, instead of just grow?
   December 6, 2012
Mary Newsom
When I moved to Charlotte more than 30 years ago, Matthews was the suburb. Years of attracting people looking for a small town and a private getaway have built a fabric of large lawns and scattered houses, and more lawns and more houses. Where does a it go from here? Read more


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Trout fishing in the fall
   November 28, 2012
Crystal Cockman
There’s really nothing quite like trout fishing for immersing yourself in nature and becoming part of the landscape. Cool mountain waters swirl around your feet as you gingerly pick your way along a stream bottom of smooth stones in hues of copper, slate, and ebony. Read more


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(Urban)-isms. Just what are they?
   November 27, 2012

Learning to speak each other's language about urbanism means understanding New Urbanism, Landscape Urbanism and more. So let’s sort a few things out and get at some simple definitions. Read more


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Island biogeography and the Uwharrie Trail
   November 15, 2012
Ruth Ann Grissom
In a sense, the Uwharrie National Forest is an archipelago, a cluster of islands in a sea of private property. Less than a quarter of the area inside the proclamation boundary is actually owned by the U.S. Forest Service. Read more


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Is Gen Y really breaking up with the car?
   November 15, 2012

By 2011, the average American was driving 6 percent fewer miles per year than in 2004 – with Echo Boomers leading the trend. Here in Mecklenburg County, however, younger drivers are on the road more, not less. Read more


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Will optimism on economy continue post-election?
   November 14, 2012
Bill McCoy
Surveys are pointing to a new optimism about the local and national economy. Can we move beyond the election and the “fiscal cliff" so that these optimistic attitudes turn into economic realities? Read more


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As society changes, so does rentership
   November 12, 2012

For many reasons, more Americans are renting their homes today compared to recent years. How does that reality square with long-held perceptions about homeowners versus renters? Read more