Charlotte’s Future: Growth and the Environment

Providence Day SchoolJanuary 6, 2011

Presentation Overview

Land Use Planning Growth Trends Growth Framework Group Activity Impacts of Growth on the

Environment Looking to the Future

Planning Department

Work with citizens to plan for future growth in the community

Ensure growth is environmentally responsible

Mission: Provide integrated planning services that promote sustainable growth to improve our community’s quality of life

Land Use Planning

What is Land Use Planning?• Key tool to manage how and where we grow in the community

• Organizing of types of land uses (ie. commercial, residential,

industrial) and their resources to best meet people’s needs over time

• Provides guidance for what types of development go where

Types of Land Uses Residential – single family, duplexes,

apartments, town homes, condos

Office – dentist, insurance, tax preparers

Retail – stores, banks, restaurants

Institutional – churches, schools, hospitals

Land Use Planning

Growth Trends Charlotte’s population more than doubled

between 1980 and 2010

Population is more diverse and older Hispanic population increased from 7.4% in 2000

to 12.3% in 2010 Median age increased from 32.7 in 2000 to 33.3

years in 2009

1980 1990 2000 2010

315,000

396,000

540,000

728,000

Developed Land 1976

Charlotte

Developed Land 1985

Charlotte

Developed Land 1996

Charlotte

Developed Land 2006

Charlotte

Mecklenburg County 1976: 12.5% Developed

Mecklenburg County 2006: 57.6% Developed

1976

2006

Growth Trends

Growth Trends

TODAY (2010) 728,000 people 459,000 jobs

TOMORROW (2035) +324,000 more people; and +458,000 more jobs

Where will these people and jobs go?

Growth Framework

Centers, Corridors and Wedges

Long-term growth strategy

Five primary transportation and development corridors

Focus growth in Activity Centers and Growth Corridors

Maximize use of transportation system, infrastructure & services

Encourage redevelopment & reuse

Growth Framework

Light Rail Transit

Bus Rapid Transit (Curitiba)

Streetcar/Trolley

Commuter Rail: DMU

Rapid Transit Planning

Group Activity (15 mins)

Group Activity (15 mins)

You are an urban planner, planning for the future of 2 sites in Charlotte

Your job is to help accommodate some of the growth that is coming, but also to mitigate the negative impacts that can come along with this growth

Here are the 2 sites you will be planning for:

Group Activity (15 mins)

Site 2

Site 1

Group Activity (15 mins)

512 mostly vacant acres near the Interchange of I-485 & Providence Road

Partly in a Mixed-Use Activity Center Several creeks, some steep topography

and a lot of trees Surrounding area is mostly developed

with single family homes and a golf course across the road

Site #1 Site #2

47 acres that was previously developed, but has now been cleared

Within the South Growth Corridor along the Lynx light rail line, about ¾ miles from the Sharon Road Station

Branch of one creek, mostly flat and few trees

Surrounding area is mostly developed with industrial and office type uses; residential nearby

Group Activity (15 mins)

Break up into groups & get 1 sheet of icons & 1 map sheet

Work with your group to place the icons where you think that type of development should go. Be sure to use as many of the icons as possible. Remember, we have a lot of growth to accommodate somewhere!

• Institutional - schools, daycares, places of worship, post offices, libraries, jails

• Parks/Open Space• Employment – Industries, Warehouses, Offices, Business Parks• Retail – mall, drug store, grocery, shopping center• Residential – single-family, apartments, townhomes, high/mid-rise

apartments

It’s ok to write or draw on the maps

Be ready to tell us why you placed the icons in a particular location

Impacts of Growth

Air Quality

Water Quality

Scarcity of Land (Open Space,

Trees)

What are the causes of environmental degradation?• Automobile Travel

• Charlotte is the 24th most congested city in the nation (TTI)

• Increases in Impervious Surfaces•In 1980, 41% of the county was undeveloped, by 2030 that could drop to 17%

• Loss of Open Space•Since 1980, the county has been losing open space at a rate of 5 acres per day

Impervious Surfaces

Looking to the FutureSustainable Land Use Planning Checklist Use land efficiently – compact development, shared facilities, infill

& redevelopment

Balance & integrate land uses – range of housing, employment, service, leisure & educational opportunities; mix of uses

Provide transportation choices – sidewalks, bikeways, transit, connectivity

Provide infrastructure to support development – schools, sewer, water, fire, police, transportation, libraries

Respect the natural and social environment – trees, streams, wetlands, floodplains, habitats, green space, historic properties, neighborhoods

Design for quality – details, site layout, building materials

Plan for the long term – quality, function, change, re-use

OutcomesConventional development patterns

OutcomesHow does it look today?

How could it look in the future?

Outcomes

How could it look in the future?

Outcomes

How could it look in the future?

OutcomesHow could it look in the future?

Conclusions

Take a look back at your maps

What would you change? What would

you keep the same?

Are there other ways you can think of

to accomodate growth and protect

the environment?

Thanks!

www.charlotteplanning.org