Future Charlotte: The Podcast
UNC Charlotte Urban Institute
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The Urban Institute is a nonpartisan, applied research and community outreach center at UNC Charlotte. Founded in 1969, it provides services including technical assistance and training in operations and data management; public opinion surveys; and research and analysis around economic, environmental, and social issues affecting the Charlotte region.
Available episodes
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2 hours ago
Episode 13: Protecting our air with June Blotnick
As the Charlotte region grows, our air is under threat: Particle pollution from vehicles, ground level ozone, pollution from coal and natural gas power plants and more all contribute to an invisible-yet-serious challenge. June Blotnick, executive director of Clean Air Carolina, joins to talk about how our air quality can be improved, why pollution is an unequal burden on many communities, and how past decisions about segregation and land use worsen pollution in our community today. Listen, and find out more at https://cleanaircarolina.org/.
Feb 11, 2021
Episode 12: Uptown After the COVID Pandemic
Two questions hang over the eerily open sidewalks, quiet restaurants, hushed office towers and near-empty Blue Line cars in Charlotte's center city: When will everyone come back – and what happens if they don’t?
Charlotte Center City Partners CEO explains why he thinks the city's core is "uniquely positioned to compete" when the pandemic abates.
Feb 3, 2021
Episode 11: Shannon Binns, Meg Fencil and building a sustainable city
Is the city we're building today undermining our future? We're talking with Sustain Charlotte's Meg Fencil and Shannon Binns about how the choices we make right now about land use, transportation and development are helping us create a more sustainable future for our city - and what the consequences are if we don't.
Jan 27, 2021
Episode 10: Astrid Chirinos and the Charlotte immigrant experience
Astrid Chirinos is a longtime advocate for Charlotte's immigrants and a force in the community. A native of Venezuela, hear why she made North Carolina her home, and why she wants people to remember that belonging isn't just about having a seat at the table - it's about whether you can order from the menu.
Jan 20, 2021
Episode 9: Geraldine Gardner and Regional Collaboration
Our challenges in Charlotte extend far beyond the city limits: Traffic congestion, pollution and the need for economic growth don't respect jurisdiction lines. Geraldine Gardner is at the forefront of the effort to pursue a regional approach to our issues, as Executive Director of the Centralina Regional Council. Hear how she's working to build a regional future, and why she doesn't put much credence in the notion of an "urban-rural divide."
Jan 14, 2021
Episode 8: Bart Landess
In his role as Executive Director of the Catawba Lands Conservancy, Bart Landess has a front row seat to development and our region's approach to preserving open space. Hear how people around our region are recognizing the value of keeping some land from development, why trails are an economic development tool, and what we need to do to work together more effectively.
Jan 8, 2021
Episode 7: David Walters
David Walters is a longtime urbanist, and a specialist at explaining urban design topics to laypersons without jargon. A professor emeritus of urban design and architecture at UNC Charlotte, Walters joins Future Charlotte to talk about what makes a livable neighborhood, why we need to put people before cars, and why "if we don't do something, we're screwed."
Dec 18, 2020
Episode 4: Jack Thomson and Preserving the Past
What will Charlotte look like in 20 years? Join experts from a variety of fields to explore a different facet of this question on each episode, as we dive deep into one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.
On today's episode, we talk with Jack Thomson, executive director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, about what it means to be a shiny "New South" city, why saving some of our past is worth it, and why historic preservationists aren't "hysteric preservationists."
Dec 17, 2020
Episode 5: Jason Lawrence and the Future of Transit
What will Charlotte look like in 20 years? Join experts from a variety of fields to explore a different facet of this question on each episode, as we dive deep into one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.
In today's episode, we talk to Charlotte Area Transit System Planner Jason Lawrence. How we get around our city is becoming more and more complex as traffic worsens, but paying for new means of mobility could cost billions. The real question: Can we afford not to?
Dec 17, 2020
Episode 3: J'Tanya Adams and Building More Equitably
What will Charlotte look like in 20 years? Join experts from a variety of fields to explore a different facet of this question on each episode, as we dive deep into one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.
Charlotte is a city riven by historic patterns of segregation, and not all neighborhoods have prospered equally. Today we talk with J'Tanya Adams, founder and program director of Historic West End Partners, about how our city could grow more equitably in the future and avoid some of the injustices of the past.
Dec 17, 2020
Episode 2: Taiwo Jaiyeoba and Big Plans for 2040
What will Charlotte look like in 20 years? Join experts from a variety of fields to explore a different facet of this question on each episode, as we dive deep into one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.
Today, we talk with planning director Taiwo Jaiyeoba about what it means to be a change agent, how new plans could reshape the city, and why (if he had a magic wand), he'd close a few streets permanently.
Dec 16, 2020
Episode 1: Clayton Sealey and Charlotte Development
What will Charlotte look like in 20 years? Join experts from a variety of fields to explore a different facet of this question on each episode, as we dive deep into one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.
On this episode, we talk to Clayton Sealey, a self-described development nerd who's been following, writing about and stirring things up in Charlotte's development scene for years, both as himself and @CLTDevelopment on Instagram and Twitter.
Dec 16, 2020
Episode 6: Brian Cox
What will Charlotte look like in 20 years? Join experts from a variety of fields to explore a different facet of this question on each episode, as we dive deep into one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.
In today's episode, we talk to Brian Cox, a Park and Recreation Commission member in Mecklenburg County. We've historically ranked low for park space and access. With growth gobbling up more and more green space, can we expand our parks enough to keep pace?