Articles

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Survey finds uptick in business optimism
   January 5, 2012

The first quarter 2012 Charlotte Business Confidence Index report, released Jan. 3, shows Mecklenburg County business leaders' optimism about economic prospects in the first quarter improved compared to their expectations for the fourth quarter 2011. The overall index value of 54.6, an increase of 8.3 points compared to the fourth quarter, returned to a positive outlook on business... Read more


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Looking back, looking forward
   December 19, 2011
Jeff Michael
This has been a year of change and growth for the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute.  As I look back on the year’s highlights – and look forward to a new project we’ll debut early in 2012 – I’m reminded of the role the institute has played since 1969 in the greater Charlotte region. Read more


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Revolutionary thinking for Red Line rail
   December 14, 2011
Mary Newsom
"Revolutionary" is not too strong a word for plans laid out Tuesday in Mooresville at a public workshop where 150 people heard a lengthy proposal to fund an unbuilt commuter rail line to Iredell County. Simply the fact discussions are taking place is of some importance. But the plan's details illustrate two big departures from business as usual in the Charlotte region. Read more


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Charlotte neighborhoods and the Great Recession
   December 13, 2011

Elizabeth Delmelle & Sara Gleave
How did the quality of life in Charlotte neighborhoods change from 2000 to 2010? Researchers believe the economic recession may have played a large part in some of these changes. Not surprisingly, impacts from the recession appear to be felt more strongly in neighborhoods that started with lower quality-of-life scores. Read more


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Survey finds preventive care, dropouts among top concerns
   December 7, 2011

What are the greatest needs facing our community?  United Way of Central Carolinas posed this question to Mecklenburg County residents via the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute’s Annual Survey last spring. The survey found the greatest perceived community health need is preventive care, the greatest perceived need for children and youth is dropout prevention, and the greatest perceived... Read more


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The curious link between alpha-gal allergy and deer season
   November 22, 2011
Ruth Ann Grissom
Say you wake up in the middle of the night with a few hives on your arms.  You might take some Benadryl and go back to sleep.  Another night, you wake up with hives covering your body. You end up in the emergency room with a dose of epinephrine and a doctor asking questions.  What caused this anaphylactic reaction? Read more


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Think globally, eat locally
   November 22, 2011

Marjorie Benbow
Our new family Thanksgiving tradition is to run the neighborhood 5k and donate nonperishable food items as an entry fee.  This run is my favorite of the year.  It has social cause, allows one to eat guiltlessly and gives a good early winter jolt to the metabolism. Read more


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You're not from around here, are you?
   November 18, 2011

If you grew up in the Charlotte region, it was common to hear this question, if your accent or mannerisms did not fit with the expected Southern norms: You're not from around here, are you? Growth in newcomers from around the country and abroad is changing attitudes and culture for an expanding part of the Charlotte region.  How much have things changed in your county? Read more


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United Way of Central Carolinas Needs Assessment 2011 - Presentation
   November 15, 2011

In June 2010, United Way of Central Carolinas commissioned the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute to conduct a comprehensive community needs assessment for its five-county service area.  The primary purpose of the study was to pinpoint the community’s greatest needs and identify gaps in the current array of human services. This study is one of several endeavors UWCC is pursuing as part of a broader...

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City of transplants still draws them in
   November 10, 2011

Charlotte is a city of transplants and has been for years. But in these trying economic times are people continuing to move here?  You’d better believe it.  In 2010, more than 65,000 people moved to Mecklenburg County from somewhere else – the equivalent of the whole city of Rock Hill moving over the state line. Who are these newcomers and where do they come from? Find out, and view a... Read more