Cabarrus County

Study: Charlotte region lags in food economy, farmers markets

A new report finds Charlotte and its region are underperforming in many measurements of its local food economy. 

Should Mecklenburg farms get more protection? Here’s how that could happen.

As local foods from local farms grow more popular, some in Mecklenburg explore whether to push for a voluntary agricultural district to help local farmers. Only 12 N.C. counties lack one.

Feds want metro transportation planning less fractured. Good luck with that.

Transportation planning in the greater Charlotte region is split among five planning groups. Will a federal push to consolidate make a difference?

Kannapolis, the town that towels built, faces its future

Podcast: Kannapolis is unlike any other N.C. municipality. For decades it was owned by Cannon Mills. But as textiles faded, its fortunes sagged. Last year, the city bought downtown, to spur revival. Our first Talk of the Towns podcast features Planning Director Zac Gordon.

More N.C., S.C. cities eye downtowns for development potential

The efforts vary from city to city. Kannapolis, for instance, bought 50 acres of downtown property. Initiatives to revitalize downtowns across the Carolinas range from renovating aging buildings to building museums to trying to lure private hotel developers. 

How prevalent is multifamily throughout the Charlotte region?

The old planners’ joke is that Americans hate two things for their cities—urban sprawl and high density. PlanCharlotte examined where in this metro region multifamily is, and where it isn’t. Some communities, hoping to attract more Millennials, want more multifamily. Others’ long-range plans discourage multifamily development.

What they said about Charlotte’s outerbelt

Charlotte leaders have been talking about the outerbelt, Interstate 485, for decades. While most residents were concerned primarily with what it would mean for drive times, planners and others spent time contemplating the highway's effect on the area's growth. A sampling of comments over the years.

No 'small house' trend in region; houses keep growing

Since the 2008 housing crash, there’s been talk of Americans downsizing and Millennials rejecting large houses. But recent U.S. Census data show that in the Charlotte area, homes only got bigger after 2000.

Has Charlotte metro income really declined?

Recently the site FiveThirtyEight.com reported that of the largest U.S. metros, only Charlotte’s median income, “experienced a statistically significant decline” in 2013. What’s going on?

Can innovative interchange plan survive suburbia?

As the final leg of I-485 nears completion, residents near the Prosperity Church Road interchange are bracing for growth. A 1999 plan calls for an “urban village” there of compact streets and walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. Will the growth really follow that plan? (Photo: Nancy Pierce)