Articles

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A Vision for Piedmont Roadsides
   October 27, 2022
Ruth Ann Grissom

Along the backroads of the Uwharries, the trees seemed especially brilliant this fall. Through the windshield, the blur of sourwoods, sweetgums, black gums and maples was a psychedelic kaleidoscope. But something was missing. Where was the riot of yellow and purple in the herbaceous layer?  There were no sunflowers. No goldenrods. No ironweeds, asters or liatris.

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Momentum seems to favor privately run toll lanes on I-77. But why?
   October 27, 2022

Steve Harrison, WFAE

Last week, the N.C. Department of Transportation discussed the possibility of partnering with a private firm to build and manage new express toll lanes on Interstate 77 from uptown to the South Carolina line.

But at least one member of the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization said he felt NCDOT was steering voting members toward that outcome, rather than having the...

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Transportation and equity: Approaching complicated questions as Charlotte grows
   October 26, 2022
Aaron Houck, Ph.D.

When it comes to transportation and transit in Charlotte, it seems like there are as many questions as there are answers these days. Add in equity and economic mobility, and the picture gets even more complex. ...

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‘Hate the bus lane.’ Drivers flooded Charlotte with opposition to pilot project
   October 12, 2022
Ely Portillo

Just a couple of years ago, Charlotte Area Transit System planners were talking a lot about the potential for bus-only lanes to make the city’s buses faster and more reliable, giving them an edge over cars stuck in gridlock. 

Charlotte debuted a blocks-long bus-only lane on Fourth Street. Then, the city marked off one lane each way for buses, bikes and emergency vehicles on part of...

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Collaboration is more than a word: Highlights from the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission Conference
   October 12, 2022

Maris Bey

Under federal and North Carolina law, human trafficking is defined as using force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. And any minor involved in a commercial sex act is a victim of trafficking.

Trafficking is often confused with human smuggling, which consists of the movement of people across borders. The movement of an individual is not required for...

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Tracking nature in an unlikely place: Piedmont roadsides
   October 10, 2022
Ruth Ann Grissom

Becky Dill’s phone was full. After moving to Wadesboro from Pennsylvania, she’d started taking photos of all the pretty wildflowers she found along the backroads of Anson County. She needed to ditch some images. While searching for options to archive her photos, she stumbled across iNaturalist. It seemed too good to be true – the site would store her images for free, and experts would help her...

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Are other cities’ good ideas a threat to Charlotte’s future?
   October 4, 2022
Aaron Houck, Ph.D.
If “superstar” cities rationalize their land-use policies, what does it mean for the Charlotte region?

As the global economy increasingly rewards technological innovation, the gains from productivity enhancements have not been distributed evenly across cities and regions. The residents of so-called “superstar” cities–including Boston, New York, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle–...

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This Charlotte planner thinks the city should scrap its transit plans
   October 3, 2022
Ely Portillo

Michael Gallis is a longtime planner with a big idea for Charlotte: Throw out the city's transit expansion plans and start from scratch. Gallis — who's been involved in some of the big plans guiding Charlotte's future, including the original five-corridor transit plan...

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Want to learn about Charlotte’s history? Check out these resources
   September 28, 2022
Ely Portillo

If there’s one constant in Charlotte, it’s change. And while the pace of new building and construction might make you think Charlotte doesn’t have much history (at least, not much left), there’s plenty to explore in the city’s past.

The rebranding and upcoming changes to the Epicentre got me thinking about the ephemeral nature of Charlotte development (Before it was home to the...

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Charlotte's tree canopy is under threat — and we all have a role to play in saving it
   September 26, 2022
Ely Portillo

Jane Singleton MyersCharlotte loves its trees. But are we willing to do all that we can to save them? 

That's the paradoxical question confronting Jane Singleton Myers, executive director of TreesCharlotte. The city's iconic tree canopy has shrunk from 49% to 45% coverage...

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