General News
Has Charlotte shifted toward welcoming cyclists, pedestrians?
It’s been only six weeks since globe-trotting “complete streets” advocate Gil Penalosa deplaned in Charlotte in October, wearing a slightly rumpled suit and armed with little more than a flash drive and a 500-slide PowerPoint. But what a week it was. By the end, I had a sense—no proof of course, but an intuition—that an […]
In preservation win, landmark west Charlotte depot to be moved
In what local preservationists call a major victory, a century-old depot—the deteriorating relic of a lost era of Charlotte-Gastonia passenger rail—will be moved a short distance and repaired. The old Piedmont and Northern Railway depot has stood since 1912 in northwest Charlotte, on Old Mount Holly Road beside what are now CSX-owned tracks used for […]
Veterans and homelessness: Who uses county services?
One in 10 people experiencing homelessness in the United States in 2014 was a veteran, according to a one-night homelessness count. And according to the most recent one-night homelessness count in Mecklenburg County, 12 percent of the adults found that night to be homeless were veterans. From 2010 to 2015, Mecklenburg County saw a 10 […]
Banding sparrows and warblers, while assessing habitat health
The song sparrow was tangled in a mist net stretched between a stand of big bluestem and a blackberry thicket. It flapped and flailed, but settled a bit as Alicia Bachman’s nimble fingers worked to extract it – first the tiny claws and legs, then the wings and finally the head. A volunteer and experienced […]
From Paris to backcounty Stanly County: the Kron family tale
For those seeking an autumn day trip, a new exhibit at the Stanly County Museum in Albemarle, paired with a visit to an old family homestead in nearby Morrow Mountain State Park, will reward visitors with a unique blend of regional history and natural beauty. And taken together they may inspire deeper thinking about issues […]
Kron sisters’ botanical explorations left an important legacy
This article first appeared in the spring 2000 issue of “The LandMark,” the newsletter of The LandTrust for Central North Carolina. It is reprinted with permission of the author and the LandTrust. When European explorers and colonists, African slaves and their descendants were discovering and settling America, they confronted a vast, unknown wilderness. Trying to […]
Imagine treating bus riders as well as light rail, car commuters
Can Charlotte do a better job of making its humble bus stops a bit less humble? A Charlotte city official posed that question Tuesday, saying Charlotteans should not ride by a bus stop and think, “I’m so sorry for that person.” Tom Warshauer, community engagement manager for the Charlotte Department of Neighborhood and Business Services, […]
Need a speaker? Institute offers speakers list
UNC Charlotte Urban Institute staffers are experienced speakers and presenters on a variety of topics. In order to assist civic groups or others who may be seeking someone to give a talk or presentation, we’ve created a list of the staff members who are available, their areas of expertise, and how to contact them. Click […]
Geographer Stuart helped put ‘region’ in Charlotte regionalism
Those of us who knew Al Stuart are saddened by his passing on Nov. 1. Dr. Alfred Stuart, professor emeritus of geography and earth sciences, had a long and distinguished career at UNC Charlotte. I had the good fortune to work with him for more than 40 years, and I believe we should take a […]
Signs, festivities aim to get people walking in Charlotte
To be truly walkable, a neighborhood needs more than sidewalks and safe street crossings. Those are important, but an often overlooked factor is whether it has places to walk to, such as stores, coffee shops, schools and parks. An event this weekend called Walk Your Neighborhood aims to show residents of six neighborhoods that—perhaps surprisingly […]