A pair of recent articles examine the political and financing situation around transit (e.g., streetcar and light rail) and housing (i.e., a rental development boom) in Charlotte, which has paced the nation in growth over the past decade.
Jessica Leber writes for FastCo.Exist about the city’s status as a “poster child for sprawl” and the long commute and travel distances that residents suffer as a result. According to Leber, Charlotte’s new mayor, Patrick Cannon, supports increasing the local sales tax to fund the Charlotte 2030 transit plan.
Eric Frazier writes for the Charlotte Observer of growing concerns from market analysts that Charlotte has overbuilt rental housing. “Much of the new apartment growth is coming in and near uptown Charlotte, in areas such as the South End, SouthPark, NoDa and Elizabeth neighborhoods,” reports Frazier. Moreover, “the city’s apartment development pipeline as ‘very active,’ with more than 8,100 units under construction and nearly 12,000 more proposed.” Supply is expected to exceed demand within a year, although experts also see long term strength in the market.
FULL STORY: Can A Sprawling Southern City Remake Its Transit Networks?
HOAs Fight Back Against Institutional Investors
A growing number of homeowners associations around the country are using old legal tools to keep institutional investors from buying up, and renting out, the neighborhood.
Is Charlotte Overselling Plan to Expand Transit?
Even if voters approve a new one-cent transit sales tax, will Charlotte be able to deliver on its promise of two new commuter rail lines and a new bus rapid transit line?
Philadelphia on Track to Build Record Number of Apartments in 2022
A researcher from the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University tells a tale of two housing markets—rental and for-sale—in the City of Brotherly Love.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research