CHARLOTTE FUTURE | 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

OUR CITY. OUR PLAN. OUR FUTURE.

PLAN POLICY (ADOPTED JUNE 21, 2021) Published July 20, 2021

CITY OF CHARLOTTE

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AUTHENTIC EQUITABLE RESILIENT INTEGRATED

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CHARLOTTE FUTURE | 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

OUR CITY. OUR PLAN. OUR FUTURE.

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CITY OF CHARLOTTE

With support from:

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KNIGHT FOUNDATION

Dear Charlotte Residents and Other Readers,

Charlotte has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the country in recent years. This growth has established Charlotte as a vibrant and desirable city; however, this rapid development has also contributed to many challenges and the events of the last year have magnified many underlying issues that have faced the community for decades.

Most U.S. cities have a Comprehensive Plan to establish a desired vision for the future and a strategic policy framework. Charlotte has not had a Comprehensive Plan to guide growth and development community-wide since 1975. The Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan is our shared, comprehensive vision to guide the Queen City’s growth over the next 20 years.

“Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses, and visitors alike; a safe family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive.”

The Comprehensive Plan is a living document that provides a policy framework that will guide our city’s decision-making and investment in both the near- and long-term. With this in mind, not all of the Plan’s recommendations can or should be implemented immediately. The Comprehensive Plan’s goals and objectives, as well as many of the policy recommendations, are intended to be implemented later in the 20-year plan horizon. In addition, several important recommendations and tools cannot be implemented without changes in State of North Carolina statutes. These recommendations are identified as long-term and requiring further conversations and coordination with formal and informal entities outside the City organization within the Plan document.

The planning process has been guided by a focus on equitable growth and by the residents of Charlotte coming together to prioritize what is most important to us. As a community-driven Plan, it seeks to address the inequities of the past, and unite the city around a shared set of goals for our future. With that said, the goals, objectives and supporting policies are intended to be achieved citywide and not on every single lot. A mature community like Charlotte that is facing additional growth pressures typically holds values important that can be interpreted as competing interests or even in conflict with one another. Not every property, project or development will be able to achieve all of the Plan goals and objectives, but as a whole the community has expressed a desire that the collective public and private investments made over the next 20 years strive to achieve as many aspirations as possible and make Charlotte an even better city.

The Plan lays out an Equitable Growth Framework that builds upon the community’s input regarding long standing disparities and inequities. For many existing policies and resulting practices, equity and the impact on our more vulnerable neighborhoods and residents has been an afterthought. The Comprehensive Plan is crafted through a lens of equity and with a commitment to thinking of our most vulnerable populations first with a vision of helping our city become a place where all residents can thrive, regardless of race, income, age, ability or where they live.

The Comprehensive Plan is organized into three documents.

• 1: The Plan Policy is considered the main body of the Plan and has been adopted by City Council. It includes three sections.
  • The first section communicates the Vision and Values that were identified during the two-and-a-half-year community engagement process. It then lays out the Equitable Growth Framework and 10 community-driven goals.
  • The second section outlines the elements of a Complete Community and introduces 10 Place Types that set aspirational direction for how development will contribute to placemaking and a variety of places will work together to create communities across the City of Charlotte moving forward.
  • The third section provides the Policy Framework organized by the 10 goals. Each goal includes a set of measurable objectives, big policy ideas, and supporting policies, projects, and programs.
  • The Plan Policy concludes with a Glossary of Terms and Acknowledgments.
• 2: The Implementation Strategy includes the initial Implementation Strategy to accompany the Comprehensive Plan. It provides strategies and tools recommended for plan implementation. This includes actions for the policies, projects, and programs; strategies for integration with other Plans; a framework for Community Area Plans and mapping; guidance for the Unified Development Ordinance, recommendations for Capital Improvement Projects, and how to track our progress.
• 3: The Manuals and Metrics provide more detail and background on the Equitable Growth Framework’s metrics and methodology, as well as more detailed guidance for the aspirational aspects of the ten Place Types. The Place Types Manual also provides guidance for Place Type Mapping and a community process for reviewing recommended Place Type designations.

What’s Next? Since the June adoption, City staff have begun to engage the community in mapping the land use policies within the Plan. This Policy Map will be adopted by Council to provide guidance on land use and public investment decisions and the zoning districts within the new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The Plan Policy was adopted on June 21[^st], 2021 and it is anticipated that the Implementation Strategy, as well as the Manuals and Metrics will be adopted in February/March of 2022 along with the Policy Map.

Implementation of the Comprehensive Plan will require continued engagement and conversation with the community. Tools to facilitate a participatory process, implement Plan policies, and mitigate potential negative impacts of growth pressures and strategies are highlighted throughout the Plan. In several instances, existing tools can be leveraged in better ways, but many tools will require evaluation and customization for Charlotte. The Implementation Strategy also includes the path to future plan amendments to help ensure the Comprehensive Plan remains current with Charlotte’s needs.

Before we close, we’d like to thank the people of Charlotte for contributing to a healthy discourse about the future of our great City. Varying opinions often lead to division, but our community worked to find meaningful compromise to unite around a single vision.

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Vi Alexander Lyles Mayor

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Marcus D. Jones City Manager

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 A COMMUNITY-BASED VISION

2 COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AND PLACES

3

POLICY FRAMEWORK

4

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

5

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

COMPANION DOCUMENTS UNDER SEPARATE COVER:

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

SHORT-TERM ACTIONS

PLANNING APPROACH

COMMUNITY AREA MAPPING

UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE

ANTI-DISPLACEMENT TOOLS

FISCAL CONSIDERATIONS

CIP PREPARATION

ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

AMENDING THE PLAN

TRACKING PROGRESS

MANUALS AND METRICS

A: EQUITABLE GROWTH FRAMEWORK

B: PLACE TYPES MANUAL

C: GOAL AND OBJECTIVES METRICS

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01

A COMMUNITY-BASED VISION

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1.1 Introduction

1.2 Community Values, Vision, and Goals

1.3 Equitable Growth Framework

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Photo Credit: Charlotte Star Room

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The City of Charlotte has a duty to implement plans for various aspects and areas of the community. Unlike many plans developed across the country, the neighborhood, community and system-wide plans created in Charlotte should not sit on a shelf and collect dust. Instead, they are calls to action that guide and propel investment and transformation in the community. Charlotte has not had a Comprehensive Plan to guide growth and development community-wide since 1975. A comprehensive plan is a blueprint for a city’s next phase, a statement on a community’s character, and a guiding light for determining a community’s goals and aspirations for the future.

The Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan is our shared, comprehensive vision to guide the Queen City’s growth over the next 20 years. Now that it has been adopted, the Plan is the foundation for strategic policy, equitable investment in infrastructure, and regulatory tools such as the Unified Development Ordinance. The planning process was guided by a focus on equitable growth and by the residents of Charlotte coming together to prioritize what is most important to us. As a community-driven Plan, it seeks to address the inequities of the past, and unite the city around a shared set of goals for our future.

The Comprehensive Plan is a living document that integrates community input and best practices into a framework that will guide our city’s decision-making and investment in both the near- and long-term. This Plan addresses topics that affect how we will experience the built environment and layout of our city for decades to come. It also addresses how our built city can better reflect and advance our community values and aspirations around topics like equity, transportation, quality of life, economic development, jobs, affordable housing, health, safety, and sustainability.

The policies, projects, and programs in this Plan aim to shape the future of the places we live, work, shop, and play by preserving what’s important to our community and guiding investments that help make Charlotte a vibrant and unique city for decades to come. The Plan helps to ensure a high quality of life for residents and an attractive community for employers and employees.

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Redlining in Charlotte, 1935. Source: Mapping Inequality

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Charlotte Transportation Network, 1928

DIVISIONS AND INEQUITY: HOW WE GOT HERE

Charlotte was an early hub of transportation along the Catawba tribe and other tribes’ trading paths. Successful railroad bids strengthened the city as a transportation hub. Charlotte’s transformation into a prominent urban center can largely be traced to the first half of the nineteenth century. Charlotte was the location of America’s first gold rush. This led to the first US branch mint, establishing the city as a center for banking. Well-established transportation, technological advancements, and the cotton-based economy facilitated the growth of textile manufacturing and goods distribution. As the railroad and cotton industry attracted investors, innovators, and jobseekers, landowners subdivided and sold their land around the urban center and rail corridors. This urban expansion started to segregate land uses, classes, and people. It was during this time of growth that the city became more divided.

In the mid-1900s, Federal mortgage programs, automobiles, and a strong economy created a suburban development boom across the country. By this time, racial and class tensions were entrenched and limited how people of color could purchase land and where they could live. Federal financial assistance required maps that classified housing areas in the city based on racial, economic, and land use homogeneity (redlining). Low-income and African American areas were redlined (graded D) and denied loans. These maps also guided the first zoning. Redlined areas were zoned industrial or multifamily. In addition, new neighborhoods in Charlotte enacted racially restrictive covenants that prevented property sales to African Americans and poor whites¹.

"By the time the civil rights movement culminated, the city was physically segregated by race and income. This led to concentrated poverty and a need to develop new strategies for affordability and investments."

The events of the 1930s-40s hampered African American families’ ability to build wealth. Segregation limited choices. Disenfranchisement made African American neighborhoods and business centers vulnerable to change. New highway networks supported suburban growth but bisected neighborhoods, primarily lower income neighborhoods inhabited by people of color. Urban Renewal aimed to rebuild in “blighted” areas, but led to the destruction of Second Ward and other neighborhoods throughout Charlotte. Suburban shopping malls located near areas with high disposable incomes. This moved employment opportunities, goods, and services further away from African American homes.

By the time the civil rights movement of the 1950s -70s culminated, the Charlotte was physically segregated by race and income. This led to

concentrated poverty and a need to develop new strategies for affordability and investments. Some strategies have been successful in and around Uptown (e.g., First Ward Place, a mixed income, mixed tenure HOPE VI grant funded development[^p13-1]), but the increased land and housing values in these areas has placed financial pressure on residents. Some communities have been able to use opportunities and their organizing power to become more stable, but only through their own effort. Today, neighborhood change, fear, and polarization inequitably impact historically African American areas. Charlotte currently has the least amount of upward economic mobility of America’s 50 largest cities.[^p13-2] This impacts our future as a livable, vibrant, and sustainable place to live and do business. The City believes it must take responsibility for its role in creating, perpetuating, and otherwise turning a blind eye to this system of structural racism and that there are opportunities to be more accountable in its decisions around future growth and to better understand the consequences (intended and unintended) of those decisions. If we do not, we will exacerbate disparities, become more divided and risk losing the sense of community that is so uniquely Charlotte.

[^p13-1]Source: https://curs.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/400/2013/09/Boulevardexecsummary.pdf

[^p13-2]Source: Equality of Opportunity Project, now rebranded as Opportunity Insights based at Harvard University

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Socio-economic patterns of First Ward in Charlotte, 1875 & 1910: The colored pins represent different races and economic classes and illustrate that Charlotte was an integrated community at the time. Source: Dr. Tom Hanchett

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Charlotte has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country, with an average annual growth rate of over 1.7% during the past 10 years. Many factors have attracted new residents and businesses to the region, including diverse employment opportunities, a relatively low cost-of-living, and the city’s unique character. This growth has established Charlotte as a vibrant and desirable city; however, this rapid development has also contributed to many challenges facing the city. If Charlotte is to continue to grow sustainably it will need to do so intentionally and strategically. Most U.S. cities have a Comprehensive Plan to establish a desired vision for the future and a strategic action framework that would help implement it. Charlotte however has not had a plan like this since 1975. The city’s current growth policies are decentralized and lack a coherent unified vision, as they were written over the course of the past 30 years and vary between different areas of the city. Though some areas have updated policy guidance by virtue of City-adopted area plans, several others have not had updated guidance for ten years or more. Taking these disparities into account, the City recognizes that an updated and holistic approach to unify long-range planning efforts is needed.

Charlotte has attracted growth and innovation for the last 130 years. Along with the innovation has come more wealth and jobs, bringing new people to the city. To new residents, Charlotte has offered a balanced quality of life with reasonably priced homes, diverse job opportunities, access to nature, and transportation choices. Yet, for those who were born in this city into a lower-income or Black

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Median Household Income, 2016

Median Household Income

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Race, 2016

Percent White Population

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Voter Participation, 2016

Percent Registered Voters that Voted

household, the economic boom has been largely inaccessible. Charlotte’s rapid growth comes with opportunities, new energy, and increased investment in the city, but it also brings with it additional pressures and strains on existing residents. Growth, among other factors, has led to home and rental prices outpacing median household income, leading to gentrification and the risk of displacement for many Charlotte residents.

Early in the planning process the City created the Charlotte Equity Atlas, which looks at the built aspects of the city through a lens of equity and inclusion. This document built upon the past work of the Opportunity Insights Team, the Leading on Opportunity Report, the Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer, and the Housing & Homelessness Dashboard. The mapping of the development, environmental, and demographic patterns across the city helped identify areas of disparity and establish a baseline to better understand the real-world results left by our inequitable system. This data-driven baseline grounds the Comprehensive Plan so that it can shape opportunities in such a manner that the impacts are equitable or, in plain terms, fair. Fair, whereby all communities are provided with access to the specific services and amenities they need to be successful. The process of mapping household income, race, and voter participation shows a clear pattern in the spatial distribution of these statistics. Charlotte’s Neighborhood Planning Areas (NPAs) with the lowest incomes, highest percentages of non-white residents, and the lowest voter participation are highly correlated.

“Mapping household income, race, and voter participation shows a clear pattern in the spatial distribution of these statistics... The spatial pattern derived from these maps can be described as an “arc” of Communities of Color and concentrated areas of poverty.”

This distribution is inherited from a history of racial and economic segregation. The spatial pattern derived from these maps can be described as a “crescent” or an “arc” of Communities of Color and concentrated areas of poverty that extend broadly around Uptown from the east to the southwest. In contrast, a “wedge” stretching from Uptown and the center city down to the southwest contains many of the NPAs with the highest incomes, percentage of White residents, and voter participation. The built environment of the arc is less complete than the wedge. These patterns are a direct impact of redlining and the ongoing effects of explicitly racist and segregationist policies of the past.

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Map Source: City of Charlotte Equity Atlas, note that this represents areas within the City limits and does not include Mecklenburg County. See the Equity Atlas for more information.

FUTURE TRENDS

Based on current projections, Charlotte is expected to continue a high rate of growth over the next 20 years. Mecklenburg County can expect a population growth rate of approximately 1.6% and a 1.5% rate of employment growth¹. This equals about 1,491,900 total residents and 1,080,100 total jobs throughout the County by 2040. The City of Charlotte is expected to add over 385,000 new residents and 212,000 new jobs over this same period. This new growth will come with both opportunities and challenges, including increasing diversity and a potentially unequal distribution of benefits without planning intervention. Establishing a vision for directing and managing future growth that is based in a clear understanding of current and past inequities is critical to the long-term success of our city.

A number of local and nation-wide trends will contribute to Charlotte’s growth over the next 20+ years. These trends include a natural population increase as more people are born than die; Charlotte’s employment growth as new jobs attract skilled workers to the region; Center City growth as more people want to live and work in urban centers than ever before; and Charlotte’s quality of life as even more people are drawn to the city as it improves. Understanding these motives is important to making decisions about future growth.

Charlotte’s future growth will be made up of a variety of demographics, including many new residents who are foreign born, non-English speaking, Millennials, and young families. This increased diversity will bring even more culture and vibrancy

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Equality versus Equity, 2017. Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

EQUALITY VERSUS EQUITY

Equality and equity are often used interchangeably. However, with Equity being the key Guiding Principle of the Charlotte Future Comprehensive Plan, it is important to properly define these terms. Equality provides everyone with the same opportunities regardless of their needs. Equity provides people with the opportunities necessary to meet their specific needs. For example, an able-bodied person may not notice the curb cuts on a sidewalk because they can easily step up and down, but a senior, someone with limited mobility, or a person pushing a cart or stroller needs the curb cuts to be able to use the sidewalk. Equity makes things accessible for everyone. A City that develops equitably is FAIR about how public investments are made and JUST in doing something about existing unfairness.

to the city, which is already rich in history and character. New residents may have different needs and customs than existing residents. An equitable plan for future growth will need to welcome and celebrate new culture and demographics, while maintaining the diversity and authenticity that makes Charlotte the city it is today.

Of its peer cities, which include Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, Minneapolis, Denver, and Raleigh (note these are only used for analysis and are not an exact one-to-one), Charlotte is slated to see the highest rate of job growth, regional job capture, and diverse development types over the next 10 to 20 years. All of these projections indicate that Charlotte will continue to have a strong economy and economic growth, however there is the risk that this wealth generation may not be available to all residents. New residents, while bringing a diverse workforce to the city, could also contribute to increasing housing prices, less housing stock and choice, fewer middle- and lower-wage jobs, increased pressure on the city’s infrastructure, and even increased racial and socio-economic tensions. The Comprehensive Plan aims to address these issues so that development can benefit existing and new residents. With proper planning, new growth could instead come without displacement of existing residents, and with a variety of new and affordable housing types; accessible jobs for all education levels; increased investment in roads, transit, and trails for all areas of Charlotte; increased access to goods and services; and a more equitable distribution of wealth and opportunity.

^2Source: Economic and Planning Systems and Charlotte CONNECT

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Charlotte Area Housing Cost and Income Index, 2000-2017. Data Source: Zillow, US Census, Freddie Mac, Economic and Planning Systems

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Change in median household income by race, 2000-2016. Data Source: US Census, 5-Year American Community Survey

PLAN ORGANIZATION

PLAN POLICY

1 The first section, A Community-Based Vision, communicates the Vision and Values that were identified during the robust community engagement process. It then lays out the Equitable Growth Framework that grew from the vision, which measures access and benefits to the community across the city. This sets the stage for what the goals will address later in the Plan Policy.

2 Section Two, Complete Communities and Places, outlines the elements of a Complete Community, which meets the needs of all residents and employees in an area. This section describes the ten Place Types, which are used as tools to direct growth and investment in an equitable and integrated way.

3 Section Three provides the Policy Framework, the essential component of the Plan recommendations. Ten primary Goals and Objectives, built from the Vision Elements, each have recommendations for big ideas and supporting policies, projects, and programs. The Plan Policy concludes with a Glossary of Key Terms and Acknowledgments of the many voices that contributed to the contents of this document.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

The Implementation Strategy, provides the details and tools used to make it all happen. This includes actions for the policies, projects, and programs; strategies for integration with other Plans; a framework for Community Area Plans and mapping; guidance for the Unified Development Ordinance, a framework for an Anti-Displacement Strategy, fiscal considerations, recommendations for Capital Improvement Projects, the Plan amendment process, and how to track our progress.

MANUALS AND METRICS

The final document provides three additional Manuals and Metrics. The first summarizes the methodology for the Equitable Growth Framework’s Metrics. The second is a Place Types Manual that provides detailed direction for each Place Type, and an overview of Place Type Mapping. The third is a set of metrics to track the progress of the goals and objectives.

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Sub-sections

Policy case study or informational sidebar

Numbered policies, projects, and programs (corresponds to the Implementation Strategy)

Illustrative photos: Images from Charlotte that illustrate concepts described in the big ideas, policies, projects, and programs

HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT

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Section marker: the filled blue dots indicate the current section of the Plan Policy

Place Types title, goal, and photo bar

Distribution of land uses within Place Type

Abbreviated Place Types components (more detail can be found in the Place Types Manual)

Place Types close-up and highlights: conceptual graphic illustrating key features

Page footer with document name, section number, section name, and page number

Section Two: Place Types spread

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Section Three: Policies, projects, and programs spread

9.13 In CIR, continue to invest in the installation of planting strips that support large trees through maturity. 9.14 Explore opportunities to support vulnerable neighborhoods such as weatherization and grant programs which enable low-income homeowners to remain in or move into homes and preserve historic structures, when feasible. 9.15 Develop a fund for the maintenance of artworks created through City funding, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Art Program, the Placemaking Fund, and Capital Improvement Projects by which title to the artworks is transferred to the City upon the project's completion and maintenance instructions are provided with the transfer of title; the artwork becomes a valuable City asset. 9.16 Develop a fund for the maintenance and programming of public spaces. 9.17 Continue and expand City and partner grant programs that support neighborhoods and other community organizations to undertake projects aimed at retaining local identity and charm and supporting capacity building of artists.

Strategic Partnerships 9.18 Educate community members and City staff (including inspection staff) about regulations and programs that support historic preservation. 9.19 Enhance support of neighborhood planning and engagement to develop "neighborhood stewardship ethos" in all neighborhoods by identifying and empowering residents to be community planners and neighborhood advocates. 9.20 Develop a formal process, such as through Neighborhood Improvement Districts, to support neighborhoods and organizations seeking to improve and enhance neighborhoods and business districts; and provide technical support and guidance for capacity building. 9.21 Develop registries of vacant properties and large surface parking lots and work with property owners to evaluate and encourage beneficial reuse of sites. 9.22 Create a culture of developer-community collaboration through the encouragement or requirement of Community Benefit Agreements.¹ 9.23 Through infrastructure investment and partnerships, invest in public art within neighborhoods and prioritize installations within vulnerable neighborhoods. 9.24 Formalize a toolbox for restoration and reuse of existing structures, prioritizing historic structures. 9.25 Formalize a process with neighborhoods and Mecklenburg County to program new and existing public spaces with culturally relevant activities.

Other City Initiatives 9.26 Encourage innovative urban design, placemaking, and preservation strategies along commercial and cultural corridors to maintain and enhance landscapes and public spaces. 9.27 Develop a Preservation Plan that identifies places, traditions, landscapes, and buildings that tell the full story of the City's history and outlines future direction for celebrating and enhancing the unique physical character, cultural values, and social identity of the City.

9.28 Support public outreach efforts to notify residents of vulnerable neighborhoods of City programs of programs that help avoid displacement, such as aging-in-place programs. 9.29 Provide design guidance for infill and redevelopment projects in Charlotte's historic neighborhoods and other cherished places.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

9.30 Cultivate placemaking and local culture by continuing to fund the Placemaking Program and allocate 1% of capital project budgets for public art from local, regional, and national and international artists. 9.31 Consider increasing the percentage of capital project budgets devoted to placemaking and public art to further support placemaking, development of public art installations and capacity building for local residents, designers and artists. 9.32 Develop a vacant properties registry and program to work with landowners to repurpose sites. 9.33 Develop a program to encourage the development of infill small-scale single-family and duplex residences that meet the City's desired form requirements. 9.34 Develop a community design handbook to guide redevelopment of Charlotte's cherished places that are not protected by a historic district designation and associated guidelines. 9.35 Develop a monitoring system to track redevelopment in historic areas and neighborhoods vulnerable to displacement. 9.36 Provide financial and technical support to small businesses in areas at high risk for commercial displacement. 9.37 Complete final survey of remaining five historic neighborhoods identified in Historic Route 4 Study. 9.38 Implement the maintenance recommendations for public art identified in the Art Conservation Report (produced in 2015 by RLA Art and Architecture Conservation) by funding maintenance of publicly-owned art installations. 9.39 Expand upon previous mapping efforts to develop a map of public and privately developed art throughout the City that is accessible to the public. 9.40 Expand technical assistance to residents who want to develop more detailed understanding and guidance in identifying assets, preserving and creating places, and documenting the character of their community. 9.41 Develop and support a low-income assistance program that would aid in tree preservation and care for trees on private property.

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1.1 INTRODUCTION

The City of Charlotte has a great legacy of developing and implementing plans for various aspects and areas of the community. Unlike many plans developed across the country, the neighborhood, community and systemwide plans created in Charlotte do not just sit on a shelf and collect dust. Instead, they are calls to action that guide and propel investment and transformation in the community. With that said, Charlotte has not had a Comprehensive Plan to guide growth and development communitywide since 1975. A comprehensive plan is a blueprint for a city's next phase, a statement on a community's character, and a guiding light for determining a community's goals and aspirations for the future.

The Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan is our shared, comprehensive vision to guide the Queen City's growth over the next 20 years. Once adopted, the Plan will be the foundation for strategic policy, equitable investment in infrastructure, and new regulatory tools such as the Unified Development Ordinance. The planning process has been guided by a focus on equitable growth and by the residents of Charlotte coming together to prioritize what is most important to us. As a community-driven Plan, it seeks to address the inequities of the past, and unite the city around a shared set of goals for our future.

The Comprehensive Plan is a living document that integrates community input and best practices into a framework that will guide our city's decision-making and investment in both the near- and long-term. This Plan addresses topics that affect how we will experience the built environment and layout of our city for decades to come. It also addresses how our built city can better reflect and advance our community values and aspirations around topics like equity, transportation, quality of life, economic development, jobs, affordable housing, health, safety, and sustainability.

The policies, projects, and programs in this Plan aim to help shape the future of the places we live, work, shop, and play by preserving what's important to our community and guiding investments that help make Charlotte a vibrant and unique city for decades to come. The Plan will help ensure a high quality of life for residents and an attractive community for employers and employees.

Sub-section introduction text

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1.2 COMMUNITY VALUES, VISION, AND GOALS

In order to create a Comprehensive Plan that is successful and meaningful, the values of the community must be central to the process and outcomes. This understanding is at the heart of the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Building on the efforts of previous engagement efforts, the Plan’s equitable and inclusive process focused on hearing from a great number and variety of voices. What we learned from the community led to the development of guiding principles and vision elements that are true to Charlotte’s character and the needs of all Charlotteans. As Charlotte continues to grow and welcome newcomers from around the country and the globe, it will be critical to foster a community ethic of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The values, vision, and goals for Charlotte embrace and celebrate differences, as well as the places and opportunities that unite us. The timeline, methods, and outcomes of the community values and Plan process are described in this section.

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PROCESS

The development of the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan has been a nearly 3-year process, including eight additional months for review and adoption. This process included significant analysis, community outreach, education, and coordination across departments, organizations, and entities. To simplify the process and engagement, the project schedule was divided into four phases.

The first phase, from Winter 2018 to Spring 2019 focused on Charlotte’s history, existing conditions, and community vision and values. This phase included significant community outreach, leading to the creation of the Plan’s guiding principles and vision elements. An analysis of the city’s existing conditions and the impacts of past policies was also completed and represented in the Built City Equity Atlas, the Growth Factors Report, and the Policy Audit. The goal of this phase was to understand the impacts of our history, the city of Charlotte as it is today, and the community’s vision for its future.

The second phase, from Summer 2019 through Fall 2019, focused on growth strategies; examining the implication of concentrating future growth along corridors, in and around major activity centers, or in and around neighborhood nodes. The process of educating and engaging the community about growth began with the Growing Better Places Game, an innovative and fun approach to having complex conversations around growth and trade-offs. The input received from the game informed the creation of three growth scenarios. The community learned about and weighed-in on these different strategies for locating future growth. Both the data analysis and the community’s feedback on these scenarios helped establish and support the notion that future growth should not be distributed through “business as usual,” but rather through an intentional and coordinated growth strategy.

The third phase, from Winter 2019 to Fall 2020, focused on the development of policies, projects, and programs around our future growth strategies and overall vision. During this phase the community, and particularly the Plan Ambassadors and Strategic Advisors, weighed in on the ten main goals and objectives that form the policy framework; the data and conclusions from the Equitable Growth Framework; and the ten Place Types. During this phase, all of the content, community feedback, and analysis to-date were compiled and released in the Public Review Draft Plan.

In the fourth phase, from Fall 2020 to Summer 2021, the initial and revised draft Plan documents were released and reviewed by the Charlotte City Council and the community. An eight-month review phase culminated in Council adoption on June 21st, 2021. During this phase feedback was collected in a variety of ways from many voices throughout Charlotte. The Final Plan was then edited to incorporate the feedback received. Following adoption, the Plan is in the process of ongoing implementation and monitoring to ensure the goals and objectives are being met.

To ensure that the final Comprehensive Plan represents an equitable future for all residents, the public engagement process was robust, innovative, and inclusive. The planning team engaged many perspectives through a variety of tools so that all Charlotteans could be included at the table. The outreach focused on accessibility and we listened to input from groups representing all segments of Charlotte’s population, including those we don’t hear from often enough – people of color, youth, non-English speaking residents, and those with lower incomes.

Over the course of the planning process the team had over 500,000+ interactions with over 6,500 voices through more than 40 methods of engagement. An additional 477 key stakeholders, including community leaders, local business and non-profit representatives, advocacy groups, major employers, local institutions, and neighborhood groups from across Charlotte.

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Key Themes

• Like having more time for exercise
• Missed collaboration
• More info about examples and photos would help
• Didn't know specific areas

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Your impressions

• Opportunity to pause and think
• I found plenty about each area by studying overhead photos from Google Map
• Missed collaboration and interaction
• I liked the ability to pause and think about the question. On the other hand I missed the interactions with other advisors.
• Great examples and worked mostly.

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Overall goals for engagement included to increase awareness of the Comprehensive Plan and its purpose; to advance understanding of equity; to build community relationships; to meet people where they are; to attract diverse participation; to clearly communicate the community’s inputs will influence the plan; and to gather feedback on the plan process and deliverables.

The primary methods for plan engagement included workshops, open houses, online surveys, pop-up events, the Growing Better Places Board Game, Ambassadors and Strategic Advisors meetings, Elected and Appointed Officials meetings and workshops, virtual meetings and open houses, the Charlotte Card Game, a socially-distanced drive-in workshop, social media outreach and education, and focus groups. All in-person meetings included translation services, refreshments, and access to childcare. All major materials were translated into Spanish and information from the project website can be translated into over 100 languages.

Starting in the Spring of 2020, with the onset of the novel COVID-19 virus, the approach for engagement needed to pivot quickly and significantly. While the overall goals of the engagement process did not change, and equity and inclusion remained at the center of the effort, the methods of outreach became completely socially distanced and/or virtual in order to protect the public health. Efforts switched to focus on safe engagement activities that primarily kept the public interested and up to date on the Plan, while more specific surveys and virtual meetings were targeted towards the Plan Ambassadors and Strategic Advisors. Acknowledging that people’s schedules and day-to-day lives may have changed during this time, the invitation to be a Strategic Advisor was re-opened to all members of the community. Some fun, at-home engagement methods included Charlotte Future City Building coloring sheets and contest, a Charlotte planning Tik Tok Challenge, a virtual scavenger hunt, the Charlotte Future

card game, socially-distanced chalk the walk, and social media games and quizzes. Many activities during this time were aimed at young adults and families, who may have had more capacity or the need for activities during school closures.

Throughout each phase of the Plan public input was compiled and integrated into deliverables and recommendations. Emerging themes were major drivers of the final plan goals and strategies. Some of the themes expressed most often throughout the process included:

• Accommodate projected growth along our transit/ transportation corridors;

• Allow varieties of housing types in neighborhoods around mixed-use activity centers;

• Create more walkable and bikeable communities;

• The strong desire to rethink “business as usual”;

• The need for missing middle, diverse, and affordable housing options;

• Strong support for complete neighborhoods and equitable access to goods and services;

• Protect and create a healthy and robust tree canopy;

• Create more meaningful and accessible tree-canopied parks and open space; and

• The need for better access to a diverse range of jobs and employment types.

With significant input from the public at every phase in the process, this Plan and its recommendations could not have been created without the help of the Charlotte community. The community’s willingness to participate in a variety of honest and sometimes difficult conversations throughout the development of the Comprehensive Plan has been instrumental to its creation.

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TOTAL INTERACTIONS

500,000+

VOICES

6,500+

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

477

METHODS OF ENGAGEMENT

40+

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The process of community outreach and visioning began with the creation of the Guiding Principles. Guiding principles are the values that Charlotte will use to establish a framework for decision-making throughout the life of the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. These principles were conceived through robust and meaningful conversations with over 6,500 voices from the community.

The four guiding principles that emerged will help shape the Comprehensive Plan as it looks to the future: equitable, authentic, integrated, and resilient. These principles form the basis for the Plan vision and goals and ensure that the recommendations are in-line with how we as a community want to grow and change in the coming years.

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Equitable

Equity is not simply a part of our plan; acknowledging and working to correct Charlotte’s legacy of discriminatory policies and practices is one of the Plan’s primary driving forces. Keeping equity at the root of the Plan ensures that future actions contribute to every member of our community having the resources, skills, access, and sense of belonging that they need.

Authentic

For the Comprehensive Plan to be successful, it must be true to the city’s history and character. This authenticity has been shaped through an extensive public process and honest feedback from all voices and perspectives in Charlotte about our city’s strengths and challenges.

Integrated

A key purpose of the Plan is creating an integrated framework for growth, development, and community design. Unifying our City and County departments, as well as non-government partners, around a holistic long-range plan ensures we are committed to a shared vision for Charlotte and working together to address challenges and create opportunities. This Plan was not completed in isolation; there other plans that it connects with.

Resilient

An underlying piece of all the goals is resiliency, particularly around how Charlotte prepares for and responds to the challenges of public health, affordable housing, climate change, and infrastructure. A resilient city has the ability to absorb, adapt, and grow from current and future trends, stresses and shocks.

City of Charlotte Vision: “Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses, and visitors alike; a safe family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive.”

PLAN VISION

Continuing from the community’s values that established the guiding principles, five vision elements were created to help inform the coming goals and equity metrics. These vision elements describe how Charlotteans picture their city in the future. In addition to being equitable, authentic, integrated, and resilient as stated in the Guiding Principles, the Charlotte of tomorrow is inclusive and diverse, livable and connected, healthy and sustainable, prosperous and innovative, and regional. This vision also reflects the lens through which goals and objectives were created and analyzed.

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Inclusive & Diverse

An Inclusive and Diverse City welcomes and accommodates people of all walks of life. It unpacks, measures, and mitigates displacement risk. It preserves and expands access to affordable housing. It provides services and choices for daily goods and services for a variety of price points and promotes environmental justice.

Livable & Connected

A Livable and Connected City provides public services and infrastructure to maintain an accessible environment for all. Livability manifests as complete neighborhoods that provide essential goods and services, multimodal transportation networks, a diverse array of public spaces, and a respect for neighborhood character.

Healthy & Sustainable

A Healthy and Sustainable City incorporates environmental protection and sustainability to improve public health for all. It addresses access to healthy food, health care, tree canopy, and recreation. In the context of climate change, it plans for adaptability and mitigation by enhancing stormwater infrastructure, waste diversion strategies, our tree canopy and energy efficiency.

Prosperous & Innovative

A Prosperous and Innovative City leverages growth to benefit the livelihoods and economic opportunities of all residents. It develops diverse employment opportunities that are well-matched to residents’ skill levels, expanding access to higher education and job-training for all, and supporting innovative entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Regional

The Regional City serves to improve linkages with the broader region at the political, social, and economic levels. Active participation in multi-jurisdictional planning efforts can contribute to large-scale improvements in transportation infrastructure which enhance physical and economic links between cities in the region.

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1.3 EQUITABLE GROWTH FRAMEWORK

With a pervasive dedication to facilitating a more equitable and inclusive planning process and guiding policy plan, the Comprehensive Plan’s very DNA is an Equitable Growth Framework informed and shaped by the community. The Equitable Growth Framework is intended to reflect and build upon the community’s input regarding long standing disparities and inequities, as well as an existing set of stated and unstated policies that do not go far enough in addressing the inequitable distribution of costs and benefits associated with Charlotte’s historic development and more recent surge in growth and investment. For so many of those policies and resulting practices, equity and the impact on our more vulnerable neighborhoods and residents has been an afterthought. Unfortunately, the effects have been long lasting and manifest themselves as disinvestment, gentrification, displacement, distrust, disenfranchisement, and a frighteningly high barrier to upward mobility in Charlotte, especially for people of color.

The Comprehensive Plan is crafted through a lens of equity and with a commitment to thinking of our most vulnerable populations first with a vision of helping our city become a place where all residents can thrive, regardless of race, income, age, ability, or where they live. We choose to define equity as an active principle, a tool for recognizing and remedying inequality and injustice. Equity is, in a sense, what we owe to each other: a fundamental part of our social contract that recognizes the inherent value of every Charlotte resident, actively works for justice and equality of opportunity in our City, and treats every person with dignity.

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DEFINING EQUITABLE GROWTH

Change is an inevitable part of cities. Whether a city is growing, shrinking or evolving, a variety of change is happening all the time. This is in part because individual residents and households change. Births, and deaths, aging, joining and leaving the workforce, changing jobs, moving within the community, and changing household composition all have tremendous impacts on individual households, neighborhoods, and the community as a whole. This natural evolution of households is then compounded with local, regional, and global changes in the economy, our climate, and changing tastes and preferences. For Charlotte over the last decade, these forces have contributed to an unprecedented period of growth of any similar length period in the City’s history. While the influx of new residents gets the most headlines, the number of people choosing to stay or return to Charlotte is also a major contributing factor to Charlotte’s growth.

The type of growth that Charlotte is experiencing comes with a large amount of public and private investment in the community. While some strides have already been made to begin directing some of this investment to supporting newcomers in need and to areas of the community with the most need, the vast majority of new growth in housing and employment has been in Center City, University City and south Charlotte. And many of the older, diverse, and naturally affordable neighborhoods adjacent to these places – especially those in Center City – are experiencing a large amount of gentrification and displacement. While a host of factors are at play, the bottom line is that residents of color and households with lower incomes are often being left out and pushed out. Targeted efforts have certainly attempted to be more inclusive and equitable in the approach to planning and development, but the truth remains that there has not been an overarching vision or plan that truly includes all Charlotteans in the future of the City.

The Comprehensive Plan has been created by the community and on a basic assumption that we must listen to each other and consider the intended and unintended consequences of the Plan’s recommendations on all residents, households, and neighborhoods. The Equitable Growth Framework is intended to provide more transparency and accountability as we plan, design, and implement public and private investments in housing, employment, services, schools, parks, roads, trails, and other infrastructure. It is a framework to help ensure that the costs and benefits of growth and change in Charlotte are distributed more equitably. When an investment is made in a particular area, how will the residents and businesses that are already there benefit? How do we ensure that all neighborhoods share in the impacts of growth?

The Equitable Growth Framework and the Comprehensive Plan can not reverse the wrongs of two and a half centuries, but it can acknowledge those injustices and set a clear direction for change, establish goals for more equitable growth, and provide a lens through which to evaluate a deliberate and concerted effort to make a more inclusive and equitable Charlotte. The remainder of this section highlights a set of Equitable Growth Metrics, the key tenets of a more equitable growth strategy, and ten community goals for Charlotte in 2040.

Metrics for Equitable Growth

Building on the Built City Equity Atlas developed in Phase One of the Comprehensive Plan planning process, a methodology for measuring access, environmental justice and equity has been developed to help identify areas where residents and businesses may not have access to daily needs, choices for housing, a diversity of employment, or safe and healthy environments. The Equity Metrics described and mapped herein were used to 1) inform the development of Goals (introduced later in this section) and supporting Policies, Projects and Programs (presented in Section Three); 2) to identify priorities for Community Planning Areas for subsequent mapping and planning efforts within sub-geographies throughout the community; and 3) to assess and track progress towards becoming a more equitable, fair and just city over the next 20 years.

Each of four Equity Metrics comprises a series of relevant indicators within neighborhoods and is compared to data that helps us understand where populations that are vulnerable to displacement are concentrated (Populations Vulnerable to Displacement Overlay) and where neighborhood character is threatened by new development. The four Equity Metrics described in greater detail after an explanation of the Populations Vulnerable to Displacement Overlay include:

• Access to Essential Amenities, Goods and Services;
• Access to Housing Opportunities;
• Access to Employment Opportunities; and
• Environmental Justice.

The methodology and sources for each of the Equity Metrics is described in more detail in the Plan Manuals and Metrics in the Equitable Growth Framework Manual.

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NEW TERM IN THIS SECTION: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE This is the common reference for the geography in which the City of Charlotte can exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction and where voluntary annexations may occur; utilized as the Planning Area for the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

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AREAS VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT

What is Vulnerability to Displacement?

Displacement occurs when an individual, household or business leave a neighborhood or district. Displacement can be voluntary or involuntary. While the Comprehensive Plan’s preference is to minimize voluntary displacement, especially in areas of the community where change is occurring very quickly and the history and culture of a community is being weakened, the primary focus is mitigating involuntary displacement to the extent possible. Involuntary displacement typically results from increased land values, rents, taxes and other household or business expenses. There are certain characteristics that tend to make certain individuals and households more vulnerable to displacement. Unfortunately, the same characteristics – race, income, education level, and age – that make certain populations susceptible to displacement are also used in identifying whether environmental impacts are justly distributed. They are often good indicators, along with low or no car ownership, of transit propensity – the likelihood of using public transit. Mapping these key contributing factors can help us understand how physical conditions, access, costs and benefits impact residents that have suffered from systemic racial and other social discrimination and/or are less likely to be able to adapt to rapid economic and other changes.

Four measures have been documented as major contributors to vulnerability to displacement and are used to identify the areas with the most vulnerable populations across Charlotte:¹

• Poverty Rate;
• Educational Attainment;
• Race; and
• Age.

The Importance of Mitigating Vulnerability to Displacement

When individuals, households and businesses are displaced from an area they have been a part of for a long long time, the unique culture and identity of that area can quickly erode. Charlotte is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct past and social fabric. Unchecked gentrification of an area can result in substantial displacement. And with prices increasing across the entire community, there is a chance that those who are displaced are forced to move out of Charlotte or even the region. In Charlotte, those most vulnerable to displacement are also those who have suffered most and benefited least over decades of growth and development. Additionally, when we help those who are most vulnerable, it benefits the entire community through shared wealth building, economic sustainability, expanding the tax base, attracting investment, and adding local businesses, jobs, and skilled workforce into the system. Thus, it is especially critical that the Comprehensive Plan begin identifying ways in which existing residents and businesses can participate in and benefit from new investments throughout Charlotte.

[^p33-1] Grid cells that met the "vulnerable" criteria for each of the 3 metrics are scored with a 1, while those that do not meet the criteria receive a 0. Scores are added to create a final Vulnerability to Displacement score. All vulnerability metrics are measured using US Census American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (2018); data was collected at the Census Block Group level and apportioned to grid cells. County-wide metrics were pulled from the same data source as the point of comparison.

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Vulnerability to Displacement

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ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL AMENITIES, GOODS, AND SERVICES

What is Access to Essential Amenities, Goods, and Services?

The community expressed a strong desire for more complete neighborhoods across the entire city. Measuring access to essential amenities, goods and services can help identify areas where residents and businesses may not have access to what they need close to home. The result typically involves having to travel farther and pay more to meet basic daily needs. In extreme cases, the results can be even more dire if the lack of nearby access means simply missing out on essential amenities, goods and services. The following measures are proposed to measure access to essential amenities, goods and services.

Access to essential amenities, goods and services is analyzed using seven measures¹:

• Proximity to Childcare and Early Childhood Education;
• Proximity to Parks, Open Space and Trails;
• Proximity to Community Facilities;
• Proximity to Fresh Food;
• Proximity to Health Care & Pharmacies;
• Proximity to Financial Services; and
• Access to Internet Service.

The Importance of Improving Access to Essential Amenities, Goods and Services

The lack of access to essential amenities, goods and services can significantly impact the health and well being of an individual or household. A lack of easily accessible childcare may result in substandard care or a parent or guardian passing on employment or other opportunities. A lack of access to parks, trails and community facilities can create a significant barrier to physical, mental and social health. Likewise, a lack of access to fresh, healthy food often results in settling for less healthy options and can contribute to a number of chronic health issues and disease. Lack of access to health care, pharmacies and financial services all pose barriers investing one's self, property and/or business. A lack of Internet access can be detrimental to learning, working remotely, and communicating with friends and loved ones.

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Access to Essential Amenities, Goods, and Services

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ACCESS TO HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

What is Access to Housing Opportunity?

The Access to Housing Opportunity metric identifies areas where the housing stock in a particular area of Charlotte does not provide opportunities for all residents to live. Housing Opportunity, for the purposes of this analysis, is defined as the ability for residents of all income, household compositions, and life stages to access housing options that meet their needs and economic conditions.

Access to housing opportunity is analyzed using six measures¹:

• Housing Unit Diversity;
• Housing Cost;
• Housing Size;
• Subsidized Housing;
• Tenure; and
• Level of (Re)Investment.

The Importance of Improving Access to Housing Opportunity

Neighborhoods should include unique compositions of housing types, but they should also include some diversity of housing stock to help promote diversity, inclusion, and economic stability throughout the entire community. It can also be difficult for a family or household to stay within a neighborhood they desire as circumstances change if all the housing units that are available are of the same size and type. Different life circumstances can result in the need for owning or renting, a yard requiring lots of maintenance versus a relatively maintenance free attached unit, and one or two bedrooms as opposed to three or more. This variety helps support young families as well as seniors who want to age within their neighborhood. Access to housing opportunity in a neighborhood also results in access to the amenities, goods, services, and employment opportunities nearby. A variety of housing opportunities may reduce the barriers to entry into an area with the job of choice or right mix of opportunities nearby. Housing diversity is also an important aspect of creating an economically resilient community, with studies showing that neighborhoods with diverse housing choices have lower foreclosure and sales rates.

¹ Grid cells that meet the “opportunity” criteria for each of the 6 metrics are scored with a 1, while those that do not meet the criteria receive a 0. Scores are added to create a final Access to Housing Opportunity score. The primary housing data source is Mecklenburg County tax parcel data (2019). Additional data includes building permits (Mecklenburg County, 2017-2019), rental housing (apartment) properties (City of Charlotte, 2020), subsidized housing units (units with development-based rental assistance, Quality of Life Explorer, 2017), and household income (US Census, 2018).

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ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

What is Access to Employment Opportunity?

The access to employment opportunity metric identifies areas with a lack of employment opportunities for residents. Employment Opportunity is defined as the ability for residents to live proximate to jobs that are attainable for a variety of residents and provide a family sustaining wage. For the sake of measuring access to employment opportunity, a commute shed is defined as a 20-minute (2.5 mile) radius from a residence.

Access to Employment Opportunity is analyzed using five measures¹:

• Proximity to Employment;
• Employment in Commute Shed;
• Wage Levels;
• Middle Skill Jobs; and
• Knowledge Based Jobs.

The Importance of Improving Access to Employment Opportunity

The financial stress and wellbeing in a household is largely driven by the balance – or lack of balance in many cases – of income and household expenses. The two largest household expenses are housing and transportation. And the largest driver of both income and transportation costs is related to employment opportunity. It can be challenging to find a good paying job that matches a person’s skills close to an area they can afford to live. In most cases, the individual will compromise and take a lower paying job that may not be as good of a fit or have to spend a good portion or all of the higher pay they receive on getting to and from work. Thus, Access to Employment Opportunity is largely related to Access to Housing Opportunity. In addition, it should be noted that education and training are an important component in promoting upward mobility and aligning individual skills and expertise with employment opportunities.

¹Grid cells that meet the “opportunity” criteria for each of the 5 metrics are scored with a 1, while those that do not meet the criteria receive a 0. Scores are added to create a final Access to Employment Opportunity score. All employment metrics are measured using US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) employment data (2017). Data is reported at the Census Block level, and aggregated to grid cells based on the centroid location of each Block.

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

What is Environmental Justice?

Environmental justice seeks to minimize and equalize effects of environmental hazards among the entire community regardless of income, race, education level and age. Issues of environmental justice often arise from geographic or procedural inequities. Geographic inequities occur when neighborhoods with high percentages of low-income residents, minority residents, and/or immigrant communities take more than their share of the worst environmental hazards, nuisance impacts, and resulting health problems from exposure to these hazards. Procedural inequities occur when the same neighborhoods face obstacles to participate in the decision-making process for projects that directly affect their neighborhoods.

Many factors contribute to these geographic and procedural inequities. These include a development pattern that concentrates undesirable or unhealthy land uses in certain areas, the placement of desirable public amenities outside of disadvantaged communities and limited or non-existing political influence among certain demographic groups. The following measures – coupled with sociodemographic characteristics captured in the Populations Vulnerable to Displacement metric – are used to measure environmental justice (or injustices as the case may be).

Environmental Justice is analyzed using five measures¹:

• Tree Canopy;
• Impervious Surface;
• Proximity to Heavy Industrial Uses (including extraction operations (i.e., quarries));
• Proximity to Major Transportation Infrastructure; and
• Floodplain.

The Importance of Improving Access to Environmental Justice

As previously stated, the costs and benefits of growth and change in Charlotte have been distributed inequitably throughout the community for decades, if not centuries. Some of the major costs of development include nuisance and health impacts of large land use and infrastructure decisions. Health impacts include accute and chronic conditions as well as shortened life expectancy. Highways and other disruptive infrastructure divided neighborhoods and now focus pollutants and noise generated on those facilities in the neighborhoods that remain nearby. Similarly, land use decisions have often resulted in a lack of trees and greenspace in neighborhoods that are lower income and communities of color. Flooding risk is increasing with climate change and many lower income neighborhoods are most susceptible. Along with enhanced standards and regulations addressing many of these issues for the entire community, decisions regarding land use, new development and infrastructure investments should be made with these disparities and new consequences in mind.

¹ Grid cells that meet the environmental justice criteria for each of the 5 metrics are scored with a 1, while those that do not meet the criteria receive a 0. Scores are added to create a final Environmental Justice score.¹ Environmental justice data sources include a tree canopy study (Mecklenburg County, 2016), impervious surfaces (Mecklenburg County, 2020), zoning (heavy industrial zoning districts, City of Charlotte, 2020), major transportation infrastructure (freeways, expressways, railroads and the airport, Mecklenburg County, 2020), and FEMA Existing 100 Year Floodplain (Mecklenburg County, 2020).

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Access to Environmental Justice

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GROWTH STRATEGY

It became readily apparent during the development of the Comprehensive Plan that detailed mapping at the neighborhood and community level would not be equitable and inclusive if conducted on a citywide scale. Thus, a first step in the implementation of the Equitable Growth Framework and the Comprehensive Plan will include mapping of Place Types (see Section Two for more detail) and then developing Community Area Plans for the entire city (see the Implementation Strategy and Manuals and Metrics for more detail) with recommendations for public investments and desired benefits to the public. With that said, there are clear tenants of the overall growth strategy that are shared across the entire community and have been foundational in developing the components of Complete Communities and Places, as well as the Plan’s Policy Framework.

The major tenets of the community’s desired growth strategy include:

• Develop a more localized and context sensitive network of Connected Corridors and Neighborhood Centers: While the community expressed a strong desire to bolster and grow large mixed use centers like Uptown, University City and Ballantyne, an equal or stronger emphasis was on creating improved access to employments and daily amenities, goods and services close to home by promoting more walkable and bikeable corridors and small scale neighborhood centers. Community members highlighted economic and environmental benefits of this emphasis related to shorter trips, more transportation options, more equitable access, and a development pattern that still focused on concentrating growth, but in smaller footprint and less intensive ways.
• Accommodate a large portion of projected growth equitably along our existing and planned transit and other transportation corridors: The community is concerned about the pressure that housing and employment growth is creating in established neighborhoods. While many community members expressed a desire to strategically diversify existing neighborhoods, a focused emphasis of new growth along transportation corridors was identified as an opportunity to help retain the character and charm of existing residential areas as well as a means to distribute new growth and services equitably around the community. A particular emphasis has been identified for transit corridors, as well as trails and other bicycle friendly connections. The combined focus will help to leverage investments in transportation options and better manage demands on the existing roadway network. Community members also expressed a desire for larger scale Community and Regional Activity Centers to be developed along and connected by multimodal corridors.
• Ensure existing neighborhoods and businesses have opportunities to thrive and benefit from public and private investment: As articulated throughout Section One and emphasized in the Equitable Growth Framework, the community wants a set of goals and recommendations in the Comprehensive Plan and companion planning efforts that plan for the inclusion of and benefit to existing residents and businesses. From new housing and employment opportunities to new investments in transportation, recreation and entertainment, the needs of current residents and businesses should be considered and incorporated into both public and private investments. The community desires an asset-based approach to planning and development

in existing places that celebrates, enhances and integrates the best parts of neighborhoods (including the people) rather than planning for or allowing mass replacement and displacement.

• Allow greater varieties of housing types in neighborhoods around mixed-use activity centers: While the community expressed a strong desire to retain the character, charm and relative affordability of existing neighborhoods, there was also a desire to introduce new housing options throughout the community. Coupled with development and design standards to ensure context sensitive development, many community members supported strategically introducing more housing types in existing neighborhoods. And nearly all participants in the planning process supported creating a greater variety of housing options in new development, especially new neighborhoods, along corridors and in mixed use activity centers.

• Create more complete places that are walkable and bikeable: Although it is related to several of the other growth strategies, Complete Places that are well-connected cannot be overemphasized. Many community members highlighted the fact that neighborhoods and business districts that already benefit from a diverse mix of offerings and amenities are receiving more investments in the form of private development and public infrastructure that make these places even more desirable. In addition, the community expressed concerns that individual developments were not context sensitive, not contributing to a larger whole, and not benefiting existing residents and businesses nearby. Thus, the goals that follow and Section Two of this Plan emphasis the creation of complete communities and complete places throughout Charlotte.

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GOALS

The Comprehensive Plan goals reflect the voices of our community. They make critical connections between community values, guiding principles and vision elements; articulate key elements of the growth strategy and establish the foundation for complete communities and complete places; and provide the structure for the Plan’s Policy Framework presented in Section Three.

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GOAL 1: 10-MINUTE NEIGHBORHOODS

All Charlotte households should have access to essential amenities, goods, and services within a comfortable and tree-shaded 10-minute walk, bike, or transit trip by 2040. Not all neighborhoods are expected to include every essential amenity, good, or service, but every resident should have access within a ½ mile walk or a 2-mile bike or transit ride.

GOAL 2: NEIGHBORHOOD DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Charlotte will strive for all neighborhoods to have a diversity of housing options by increasing the presence of middle density housing (e.g. duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, accessory dwelling units, and other small lot housing types) and ensuring land use regulations allow for flexibility in creation of housing within neighborhoods.

GOAL 3: HOUSING ACCESS FOR ALL

Charlotte will ensure opportunities for residents of all incomes to access affordable housing through the preservation of naturally occurring affordable and workforce housing and increasing the number of affordable and workforce housing units through new construction.

GOAL 4: TRANSIT- AND TRAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (2T-OD)

Charlotte will promote moderate to high-intensity, compact, mixed-use urban development along high-performance transit lines and near separated shared-use paths or trails.

GOAL 5: SAFE AND EQUITABLE MOBILITY

Charlotte will provide safe and equitable mobility options for all travelers regardless of age, income, ability, race, where they live, or how they choose to travel. An integrated system of transit and tree-shaded bikeways, sidewalks, shared-use paths, and streets will support a sustainable, connected, prosperous, and innovative network that connects all Charlotteans to each other, jobs, housing, amenities, goods, services, and the region.

What we heard from the Community:

• Address disparities and inequity in access to basic daily household needs
• Ensure all parts of Charlotte are a part of future growth
• More equitable distribution/allocation of costs and benefits
• Help to keep and create a variety of housing that is attainable for all residents
• Embrace and celebrate diverse cultures and ethnicities, a growing international population, and the needs and contributions of all newcomers, immigrants and refugees
• Focus a good portion of growth in mixed use centers and along transportation corridors
• Add more high-quality transit and trail connections throughout the community, especially in places with poor access today
• Create safer and more accessible transportation infrastructure and options across the entire city
• Create more places that are accessible from neighborhoods that are walkable and bikeable

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GOAL 6: HEALTHY, SAFE, AND ACTIVE COMMUNITIES

All Charlotteans will live and work in safe and resilient neighborhoods that enable healthy and active lifestyles by reducing exposure to harmful environmental contaminants, expanding and improving the quality of tree canopy, encouraging investment in walking, cycling, and recreation facilities, and providing access to healthy food options and health care services.

GOAL 7: INTEGRATED NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

Charlotte will protect and enhance its surface water quality, tree canopy, and natural areas with a variety of trees, plantings, green infrastructure, green building practices, and open space at different scales throughout the entire community as a component of sustainble city infrastructure that addresses the threat of climate change.

GOAL 8: DIVERSE AND RESILIENT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Charlotteans will have opportunity for upward economic mobility through access to a diverse mix of jobs and careers that align with education and skill levels of residents and the economic strengths of the region.

GOAL 9: RETAIN OUR IDENTITY AND CHARM

Charlotte will cultivate community-driven placemaking and identity, while limiting displacement and retaining the essence of existing neighborhoods by intentionally directing redevelopment.

GOAL 9: 10: FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE

Charlotte will align capital investments with the adopted growth strategy and ensure the benefit of public and private sector investments benefit all residents and limit the public costs of accommodating growth.

What we heard from the Community:

• Address large disparities in factors contributing to personal and community health
• Create strategies to address healthy food deserts
• Maintain and enhance Charlotte's tree canopy, drainage ways and natural areas
• Plan for better air quality and water quality
• Integrate sustainable and resilient building and development practices
• Support upward mobility
• Improve access to and diversity of employment options, especially on east and west sides
• Mitigate residential and business displacement
• Use community resources efficiently
• Leverage public dollars to guide and shape private investment
• Address major disparities in spending across the community

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

See page 16

• EQUITABLE
• AUTHENTIC
• INTEGRATED
• RESILIENT

VISION ELEMENTS

See page 17

• INCLUSIVE & DIVERSE
• LIVABLE & CONNECTED
• HEALTHY & SUSTAINABLE
• PROSPEROUS & INNOVATIVE
• REGIONAL

EQUITABLE GROWTH METRICS

See page 21

• VULNERABILITY TO DISPLACEMENT
• ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL AMENITIES, GOODS, AND SERVICES
• ACCESS TO HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
• ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
• ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

PLAN GOALS

See page 34 and Section 3

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1. 10-MINUTE NEIGHBORHOODS

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2. NEIGHBORHOOD DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

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3. HOUSING ACCESS FOR ALL

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4. TRANSIT- AND TRAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

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5. SAFE AND EQUITABLE MOBILITY

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6. HEALTHY, SAFE, AND ACTIVE COMMUNITIES

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7. INTEGRATED NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

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8. DIVERSE AND RESILIENT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

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9. RETAIN OUR IDENTITY AND CHARM

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10. FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE

02

COMPLETE COMMUNITIES

2.1 Complete Communities and Places

2.2 Place Types

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2.1 COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AND PLACES

During the Comprehensive Plan engagement process the community communicated a desire for all areas of Charlotte to meet the needs of nearby residents and employees. Charlotteans expressed the need for access to their everyday essentials as well as amenities such as parks, shops, restaurants, trails, and community centers near where they lived. These needs were also reflected in the findings from the Equity Framework maps. Neighborhoods that provide people with safe and convenient choices for a variety goods and services, jobs, and housing options are considered equitable and Complete Communities. A key objective of the Comprehensive Plan, as expressed through the public engagement, is to help ensure all areas of Charlotte can become Complete Communities.

A Complete Community is made up of a variety of places that provide opportunities for people to live, work, and play. Many neighborhoods in Charlotte today are more or less single use. For example, residential neighborhoods that have no nearby goods and services, or employment areas that are far removed from the housing where employees live. These more or less single use areas mean that the average Charlottean has to travel farther and longer to access all of their needs. It also means that those who have limited or no access to driving, biking, or using transit may not have their needs met. An incomplete community impacts equity, transportation, health, and the environment.

By locating a variety of places near each other, communities can benefit from supporting uses, like homes adjacent to opportunities to shop and dine, or employment centers close to commercial areas where people can access services after work. In addition to a variety of places, a Complete Community includes a variety of amenities and benefits within each place. This means embedding high-quality parks, open space, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, parking, and other benefits to the community within each place that makes up an area. The desire for Complete Communities with accessible amenities and strategically located uses led to the creation of the Place Types.

COMPLETE PLACES

Most comprehensive planning documents provide direction for future growth through a land use map. Future land use, which informs parcel-based zoning, does not give guidance on the aspects of place like building form, streets, multi-modal facilities and connections, and open space, that make it comfortable for those who use it. To achieve the goal of truly Complete Communities, the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan uses Place Types, which provide direction beyond just land use at the parcel level. A Place Type thinks about a place more holistically and at a larger scale, incorporating guidance for land use, transportation, layout, and design. Place Types help to articulate desired physical characteristics with context-sensitive application across the city, while helping to prioritize trade-offs associated with our stated goals. A Place Typology defines a set of Places that are unique and authentic to the community and its needs.

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COMPONENTS OF A PLACE TYPE

There are several components of the Place Types guidance provided in this Plan. These are the categories that are used to organize the direction for each of Charlotte’s Places. Their characteristics will change and adapt accordingly from less developed to highly urban. This adaptation will allow different degrees of regulation to occur in the zoning districts in the UDO. More detailed guidelines for the Place Types can be found in the Place Types Manual, in the Manuals and Metrics document. Each component is described in further detail below.

Land Use

• Land Use lays out the primary and secondary uses that will be found in each Place, as well as any supporting uses. This section also provides some guidance as to how those uses may be laid out within a Place Type, for example, where there should be higher or lower density development of the specified land uses.

Character

• This category gives a broad picture of the characteristics that make the Place Type identifiable, such as the general building type, lot size, public space, and layout.

Mobility

• Mobility describes how people travel to and within Place Types. This category includes guidance for the street network; trails, greenways, sidewalks, and other pedestrian and bicycle facilities; transit facilities; access; and mode share for each Place Type.

Building Design

• This category establishes direction for the form, placement, and orientation of buildings within a Place Type. This includes recommendations for building height, style, step backs, and interface with the public realm.

Open Space

• Open space describes the types of open spaces typically located within a Place Type, including private open space, public open space, parks, greenways, green infrastructure and natural or preservation areas. It also indicates how prevalent these types should be.

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CHARLOTTE PLACE TYPES

Through many rounds of public input and revision 10 distinct Place Types were established for the City of Charlotte. These Place Types represent the types of development and land uses that currently exist in Charlotte, as well as the aspirational character for those types. These Place Types can generally be organized into the categories of the neighborhoods where we live (Neighborhood 1, Neighborhood 2, and Parks and Preserves), the employment areas where we work (Commercial, Campus, Manufacturing & Logistics, and Innovation Mixed-use), and centers where we shop, dine, and play (Neighborhood Center, Community Activity Center, and Regional Activity Center).

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NEIGHBORHOOD 1

• Neighborhood 1 places are the lower density housing areas across Charlotte, where most of the city’s residents live, primarily in single-family or small multi-family homes or (Accessory Dwelling Units) ADUs.

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NEIGHBORHOOD 2

• Neighborhood 2 places are higher density housing areas that provide a variety of housing types such as townhomes and apartments alongside neighborhood-serving shops and services.

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PARKS & PRESERVES

• Parks & Preserves serve to protect public parks and open space while providing rest, recreation, and gathering places for Charlotteans.

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COMMERCIAL

• Commercial places are primarily car-oriented destinations for retail, services, hospitality, and dining, often along major streets or near interstates.

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CAMPUS

• Campuses are a relatively cohesive group of buildings and public spaces that are all serving one institution such as a university, hospital, or office park.

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MANUFACTURING & LOGISTICS

• Manufacturing & Logistics places are employment areas that provide a range of job types, services, and wage levels in sectors such as production, manufacturing, research, distribution, and logistics.

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INNOVATION MIXED-USE

• Innovation Mixed-Use places are vibrant areas of mixed-use and employment, typically in older urban areas, that capitalize on Charlotte’s history and industry with uses such as light manufacturing, office, studios, research, retail, and dining.

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NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

• Neighborhood Centers are small, walkable mixed-use areas, typically embedded within neighborhoods, that provide convenient access to goods, services, dining, and residential for nearby residents.

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COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER

• Community Activity Centers are mid-sized mixed-use areas, typically along transit corridors or major roadways, that provide access to goods, services, dining, entertainment, and residential for nearby and regional residents.

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REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTER

• Regional Activity Centers are large, high-density mixed-use areas, typically along transit corridors or major roadways, that provide access to goods, services, dining, offices, entertainment, and residential for regional residents and visitors.

RELATIONSHIP TO UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE

The Place Types in this plan represent the form of future development, as envisioned by the residents of Charlotte. These Place Types will in turn provide the policy-level guidance that will inform the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The UDO is the regulatory tool that will shape future development so it results in the type of complete communities and places defined within the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan goals and policies. Using the intent and direction of the Place Types in the Comprehensive Plan and the upcoming Future Place Types Mapping, the UDO will identify zoning districts and other ordinances that will further define how the Place Types are realized in actual development. Each Place Type will correspond with multiple zoning districts that will provide a high-level of detail and regulatory guidance on items such as height, lot size, setbacks, adjacencies, and allowed uses.

The high-level policy guidance for each Place Type, that will inform the UDO throughout the life of the Plan, is described in the following sections. More detailed guidelines for the Place Types are included in the Plan Manuals and Metrics.

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PLACE TYPES: NEIGHBORHOOD 1

Goal: Provide places for neighborhoods with a variety of housing types, where single-family housing is still the predominant use.

Neighborhood 1 places are the lower density housing areas across Charlotte, where most of the city’s residents live, primarily in single-family or small multi-family homes or ADUs.

LAND USE

• Single-family detached homes on lots are the primary use in this Place Type. Accessory Dwelling Units are frequently found on the same lots as individual single-family detached homes.
• Duplexes, triplexes, quadraplexes, and civic uses, such as parks, religious institutions, and neighborhood scaled schools, may also be found in this Place Type. Smaller lot single-family detached developments, small townhome buildings, and small multi-family buildings, as well as civic uses, are also found on some 4+ lane arterials. These building types provide a transition between higher volume streets and the interior of neighborhoods.
• The greatest density of housing in this Place Type is located within a ½ mile walk of a Neighborhood Center, Community Activity Center, or Regional Activity Center and is located on an arterial, with a high frequency bus or streetcar route. In some cases, small neighborhood commercial buildings are found in older neighborhoods.

CHARACTER

• Characterized by low-rise residential buildings, uniformly set back from the street, and generally consistent lot sizes. Front lawns, landscaped yards, and tree-lined sidewalks are found between residences and the street, and individual back yards are commonly found for each main residential building.
• Many of the individual neighborhoods in this Place Type have unifying characteristics, such as setbacks and building heights, that have been maintained over time. Others have seen changes in these and other characteristics.

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MOBILITY

• A very well-connected local street network provides safe and direct access throughout the neighborhood and to and through the neighborhoods and adjacent Place Types. This street network helps disperse vehicular traffic and allows residents to walk or bike to transit and nearby destinations.
• Arterial streets also support walking, cycling, and transit use by providing a safe and comfortable environment to reach transit or nearby destinations.
• Direct access to buildings, parks, and other facilities is usually from Local streets, with more limited access opportunities along arterials. Alleys are also used to provide access to residences located on narrower lots.

BUILDING FORM

• The typical building in a Neighborhood 1 place is a single-family residential building up to 3 or 4 stories. Townhome style buildings, typically have 4-6 units. The size of civic and institutional buildings varies based on context and accessibility.

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OPEN SPACE

• Private yards and improved common areas are typical open spaces in this Place Type. Public open spaces such as small parks and greenways, and natural open spaces such as tree preservation areas, are also an important feature and should be included in neighborhoods.

HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Comfortable sidewalks with planting strips and shade trees

Ⓑ Alleys in select locations to access garages and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Ⓒ Multiple housing types in proximity to each other

Ⓓ ADUs typically accessed off alleys

Ⓔ Transition to Adjacent Place Types

PLACE TYPES: NEIGHBORHOOD 2

Goal: Provide a range of moderate to higher intensity housing types, including apartment and condominium buildings, to meet the needs of a diverse population.

Neighborhood 2 places are higher density housing areas that provide a variety of housing types such as townhomes and apartments alongside neighborhood-serving shops and services.

LAND USE

• The primary uses in this Place Type are multi-family and single-family attached residential, including some buildings with ground floor, non-residential uses.
• Lower intensity housing types are also found in Neighborhood 2, especially as part of a large development with a mix of housing types. Neighborhood 2 places also include civic uses such as schools, neighborhood parks, and religious institutions.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by low- to mid-rise multi-family residential buildings, in a walkable environment. Neighborhood 2 places include larger scale residential buildings than are found in Neighborhood 1 and residential developments typically include shared community amenities, such as open spaces or recreational facilities, and common parking areas.

MOBILITY

• Because Neighborhood 2 places typically serve as a transition between lower-density development and higher-intensity commercial or mixed-use centers, they have a very well-connected and dense street network with short blocks. This provides multiple route options to better accommodate walking, cycling, and transit use.
• Both Local and Arterial streets are designed to support and encourage walking, cycling, and transit use to reach transit or nearby destinations.

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BUILDING FORM

• The typical building is a single-family attached or multi-family building and is usually not more than five stories. Civic and institutional buildings vary in size based on their context and accessibility.
• Buildings are designed with active ground floor uses, either residential or in some instances, economically viable commercial, to support a vibrant pedestrian environment.. Buildings with ground floor commercial have tall ground floors and a high degree of transparency using clear glass windows and doors.

OPEN SPACE

• This Place Type includes privately owned, common open space that serves individual residential developments. This open space takes a range of forms, from playgrounds and recreation spaces, to plazas, courtyards, and rooftop decks. Public open spaces such as small parks and greenways, and natural open spaces such as tree preservation areas, are also an important feature and should be included in neighborhoods.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Infill development forming a consistent street edge

Ⓑ Trail-oriented development

Ⓒ Shared public open spaces

Ⓓ Neighborhood trail connections

Ⓔ Comfortable sidewalks with planting strips and shade trees

Ⓕ Mix of different housing types (including townhomes, condos, and medium-density residential development)

Ⓖ Transition to Adjacent Place Types

PLACE TYPES: PARKS AND PRESERVES

Goal: Protect land that is intended to remain as parks or natural preserves in perpetuity. These places contribute to the quality of life of residents and visitors by providing places to gather and recreate, and further the environmental quality of our ecosystems including the tree canopy, waterways, and wildlife habitats.

Parks & Preserves serve to protect public parks and open space while providing rest, recreation, and gathering places for Charlotteans.

LAND USE

• Primary uses may include larger public parks, cemeteries, wildlife refuges, nature preserves, and recreational centers and facilities. Limited commercial uses may be compatible in some Parks and Preserves.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by natural areas, green spaces with tree canopy, and active uses where appropriate. Structures are typically limited in number and are intended to support on-site recreational activities and/or civic uses.
• Active uses and structures are located so as to provide minimal impact to sensitive environmental features.

MOBILITY

• Parks and Preserves are easily and directly accessible from all places and are located along all street types. Any streets leading to, by, or through these places are designed to encourage safe and comfortable access by all transportation modes.
• The internal transportation network typically consists of pedestrian and bicycle paths for smaller parks, and for larger Parks and Preserves also includes driveways and very low-speed Local streets to provide access to internal facilities. Both the streets and the off-street network are well-connected and include pedestrian and bicycle facilities, even where natural features and large recreational areas limit street connections.

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BUILDING FORM

• Typical buildings in this Place Type include recreation facilities, nature centers, restroom facilities, shelters, maintenance buildings, and accessory commercial structures such as concession stands. Building sizes vary depending on the purpose of the building and the setting and are typically low-rise.

OPEN SPACE

• Open space is the primary element of this Place Type. Depending on the purpose, the on-site open spaces typically include preserved natural areas, outdoor recreation facilities, or both. Examples of other open spaces include community or botanical gardens, arboreta, and landscaped areas.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Community gathering space with small-scale commercial uses such as cafes along roadway

Ⓑ Amenities interspersed throughout the public realm (benches, tables, trash receptacles, bike parking, etc.)

Ⓒ Active space including sports fields/courts, play area, and community garden

Ⓓ Safe multi-use paths, accommodating a lot of people and activation

Ⓔ Transition to Adjacent Place Types

PLACE TYPES: COMMERCIAL

Goal: Provide places for the sale of goods and services in locations readily accessible by automobile.

Commercial places are primarily car-oriented destinations for retail, services, hospitality, and dining, often along major streets or near interstates.

LAND USE

• Typical uses include shopping centers, standalone retail uses, personal services, hotels, restaurants, and service stations.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by low-rise retail structures with a walkable, landscaped public realm that balances automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian design elements.

MOBILITY

• Commercial places are typically located along high-volume arterial streets, limited access roadways, and near interstate interchanges. While uses and sites are generally automobile-oriented, streets are designed to accommodate safe and comfortable travel by all modes of travel.
• Cross-access between adjoining sites limits the number of driveways off arterial streets, thereby improving the public realm and circulation.
• Arterial streets support walking, cycling, and transit use by providing a safe and comfortable environment to reach transit stops, jobs, or nearby destinations.

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BUILDING FORM

• The typical building height is four or fewer stories. If located in an interchange area, buildings may be up to five stories. Long, continuous buildings, especially strip commercial buildings, can be found in Commercial places. These buildings still accommodate the desired block structure and connected street network. Some sites include accessory drive through facilities and gas pumps.

OPEN SPACE

• This Place Type includes numerous improved open spaces such as plazas, patios, and courtyards that may include landscaping. Natural open spaces, such as tree preservation areas, are also found and encouraged here. Landscaping provides an attractive public realm by softening street edges.

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HIGHLIGHTS

(A) Comfortable sidewalks with landscape buffers

(B) Mid-block crossings

(C) Active ground floors with patios/plazas typically behind buildings along major roadways

(D) Buildings oriented to streets

(E) Signage opportunities

(F) Transition to Adjacent Place Types

PLACE TYPES: CAMPUS

Goal: Provide places for large, multi-building institutions, such as educational, religious, civic, or health facilities, or for a concentration of office and research and development uses.

Campuses are a relatively cohesive group of buildings and public spaces that are all serving one institution such as a university, hospital, or office park.

LAND USE

• Primary uses vary, depending on the purpose of the Campus and may include facilities for office, research and development, education, medical, and places of assembly that require a significant amount of space for various activities spread across sites.
• Additional uses intended to support the primary use include residential, retail, hotels, restaurants and dining facilities, sports facilities, laboratories, and galleries intended to serve workers, residents and visitors.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by low- to mid-rise office or civic buildings. Some institutional Campuses are more intensely developed and may include some high-rise buildings.
• Campuses may be on one large site or multiple adjacent sites that create a unified appearance with defined edges.

MOBILITY

• Campuses are typically located along at least one arterial street with an internal street network that encourages walking and bicycling, particularly when sites are located near transit routes and stops. More intensely developed Campuses have a denser street network and a higher level of non-auto mode share than less intensely developed Campuses.

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• Campuses should include amenity-rich transit stops and mobility hubs at key entries, stations, and intersections.
• Arterial streets support walking, cycling, and transit use by providing a safe and comfortable environment to reach transit stops or nearby destinations.

BUILDING FORM

• The typical building is an office or civic building and is usually no more than five stories. Residential buildings may be also found in this Place Type but are less prevalent. More intensely developed institutional Campuses sometimes include high-rise buildings. Office Campuses may also include taller buildings where additional open space or benefits to the community are provided. Campuses usually have a variety of activities on site, and buildings vary depending on the needs of the primary user. As a result, Campuses have a range of building types and sizes. Buildings may be designed with active ground floor uses to support a walkable environment and have a high degree of transparency using clear glass windows and doors.

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OPEN SPACE

• Open space is a key feature of this Place Type. Campuses typically include numerous pervious areas, including lawns, passive landscaped areas, park space, and natural open spaces. Improved open spaces such as plazas, courtyards, and outdoor recreational facilities are also important and should be included in all types of Campuses.

HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Comfortable and convenient internal multi-modal connections

Ⓑ Highly amenitized public realm

Ⓒ Enhanced walkable “main street” connection to adjacent commercial development

Ⓓ Transition to Adjacent Place Types

PLACE TYPES: MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS

Goal: Contribute to Charlotte’s economic viability by accommodating places of employment for a range of uses related to manufacturing, logistics, production and distribution.

Manufacturing and Logistics places are employment areas that provide a range of job types, services, and wage levels in sectors such as production, manufacturing, research, distribution, and logistics.

LAND USE

• Primary uses include manufacturing, research and development, warehousing, distribution, and other similar uses.
• Uses in this Place Type also include limited office usually to support primary uses; outdoor storage of materials and vehicles; limited hospitality and restaurants, limited retail, and personal services to serve area workers.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is typically characterized by large scale, low-rise manufacturing or warehouse buildings, and other assembly and distribution facilities.
• Parcels are often large, with buildings placed on the interior of the site surrounded by service areas, outdoor and container storage, parking, and landscape buffers to provide a transition to adjacent uses.

MOBILITY

• Manufacturing & Logistics places are accessible by higher capacity transportation facilities, such as arterials and interstates, as well as by freight rail. These places may also benefit from proximity to airports. Streets accommodate large trucks, while still serving all travel modes.
• The local and collector street network is well-connected to serve sites directly and to provide good access to arterials. Streets and sites prioritize

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access for motor vehicles while still providing safe and comfortable access for other modes of travel. Truck traffic will use routes that minimize impacts on neighborhoods and open spaces.

• Where possible, mobility hubs with transit stations, pick-up and drop-off areas, bike parking and bike share, and micro-mobility options should be provided within this Place Type to accommodate employees without access to a vehicle.
• Arterial streets support walking, cycling, and transit use by providing a safe and comfortable environment to reach transit stops, jobs, or nearby destinations.

BUILDING FORM

• The typical building is a high-bay, single-story manufacturing, or warehousing building. Buildings widely range in size and scale depending on their context and use. Long, continuous buildings can be found within Manufacturing & Logistics more so than in other Place Types. Nevertheless, buildings accommodate the desired block structure and connected street network.

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OPEN SPACE

• Improved open spaces are typically recreational facilities, picnic areas, walking trails, patios, and courtyards provided on individual sites and designed to be used by employees. Natural open spaces, such as tree preservation areas, are also found here. Generous landscaped or natural buffers separate large site, less desirable uses, and the public realm.

HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Improved bike and pedestrian facilities and connections

Ⓑ Generous landscaping and buffers

Ⓒ Small shared outdoor gathering space for employees

Ⓓ Dedicated rideshare pickup/dropoff locations

PLACE TYPES: INNOVATION MIXED-USE

Goal: Contribute to Charlotte’s economic viability by providing mixed-use urban places that include light manufacturing, office, residential, and retail.

Innovation Mixed-Use places are vibrant areas of mixed-use and employment, typically in older urban areas, that capitalize on Charlotte’s history and industry with uses such as light manufacturing, office, studios, research, retail, and dining.

LAND USE

• Typical uses include office, research and development, studios, light manufacturing, showrooms, hotels, and multi-family residential.
• Uses in this Place Type also include retail, personal services, restaurants, and bars, and limited warehouse and distribution associated with light manufacturing and fabrication.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by adaptively reused buildings and low to mid-rise single-use structures that are transitioning to vertically integrated uses in a pedestrian-oriented environment.

MOBILITY

• Innovation Mixed-Use places are accessible by higher capacity facilities such as arterials and may also include access from interstates and freight rail. Streets serve all travel modes while still accommodating large trucks along primary arterial streets. The local and collector street network is well-connected to serve sites directly and to provide good access to arterials. Truck traffic will use routes that do not impact neighborhoods or open spaces.
• Mobility hubs with transit stations, pick-up and drop-off areas, bike parking and share, and micro-mobility options should be provided within this Place Type to accommodate employees without access to a vehicle.
• Arterial streets support walking, cycling, and transit use by providing a safe and comfortable environment to reach transit stops, jobs, or nearby destinations.

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BUILDING FORM

• The typical building in Innovation Mixed-Use places is an older industrial structure that has been adaptively reused.
• Newer office, residential, and mixed-use buildings typically have heights up to six stories in this Place Type. New buildings are designed with active ground floor uses to support a vibrant pedestrian environment. They have tall ground floors and a high degree of transparency using clear glass windows and doors.

OPEN SPACE

• This Place Type includes improved numerous open spaces such as plazas, patios, and courtyards that may include landscaping. Public open spaces such as small parks and greenways, and natural open spaces such as tree preservation areas, are also an important feature and should be included in Innovation Mixed-Use places.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Active and passive community gathering spaces Ⓑ Adaptive reuse of light industrial or underutilized buildings, embracing unique history and form Ⓒ Regular rail crossings Ⓓ Increased tree canopy

PLACE TYPES: NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

Goal: Provide places that have a pedestrian-friendly focal point of neighborhood activity where nearby residents can access daily shopping needs and services within a 5-10 minute walk or a short drive.

Neighborhood Centers are small, walkable mixed-use areas, typically embedded within neighborhoods, that provide convenient access to goods, services, dining, and residential for nearby residents.

LAND USE

• Typical uses include retail, restaurants, personal services, institutional, multi-family, and offices.
• Some types of auto-oriented uses, well-designed to support walkability, may be located on the edges of this Place Type.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by low-rise commercial, residential civic/institutional, and mixed-use buildings in a pedestrian-oriented environment.

MOBILITY

• Neighborhood Centers are easily and directly accessible from nearby neighborhoods to encourage walking and cycling, and to support the concept of a complete neighborhood.
• The Local street network is well-connected, designed for slow traffic, and includes good pedestrian facilities. Arterial streets provide for safe and comfortable pedestrian, bicycle, and transit travel along and across them for easy access to and from the Neighborhood Center and surrounding areas.

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BUILDING FORM

• The typical building type is a commercial, institutional, or multi-family building of up to five stories. Buildings are designed with active ground floor uses to support a vibrant pedestrian environment. They have tall ground floors and a high degree of transparency using clear glass windows and doors.

OPEN SPACE

• Neighborhood Centers include numerous improved open spaces such as plazas, patios, and courtyards that may include landscaping. Public open spaces such as small parks and greenways, and natural open spaces such as tree preservation areas, are also an important feature and should be included in centers.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Pedestrian-friendly focal point of neighborhood activity

Ⓑ Ground floors with retail, front porches, or other active uses

Ⓒ Comfortable sidewalks with street trees

Ⓓ Highly amenitized public realm with small plazas/gathering spaces

Ⓔ Improved pedestrian connectivity and safe crossings

Ⓕ Rooftop patios

Ⓖ Transition to Adjacent Place Types

PLACE TYPES: COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER

Goal: Provide places that have a concentration of primarily commercial and residential activity in a well-connected, walkable place located within a 10-minute walk, bike, or transit trip of surrounding neighborhoods.

Community Activity Centers are mid-sized mixed-use areas, typically along transit corridors or major roadways, that provide access to goods, services, dining, entertainment, and residential for nearby and regional residents.

LAND USE

• Typical uses are retail, restaurant and entertainment, and personal services.
• Some multi-family and office may also be located in this Place Type. In Transit Station Areas, multi-family and/or office may be primary uses.
• Some types of auto-oriented uses, well-designed to support walkability, may be located outside of the core of this Place Type.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by low to mid-rise commercial, residential, civic/institutional, and mixed-use buildings in a pedestrian-oriented environment.

MOBILITY

• These Place Types include a transportation network that supports highly accessible “10-minute neighborhoods” and a “park once” environment.
• Community Activity Centers are typically located at or near key intersections or on major Arterials with transit service. Easy access and direct connections to nearby residential neighborhoods help reduce trip lengths, keeps some cars off the Arterials, and encourages transit use, walking, or bicycling.
• The Local street network is well-connected, with small blocks and highly walkable connections along streets and between destinations. There are frequent opportunities to cross adjacent Arterials, and the pedestrian network accommodates large groups of people.

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• Mobility hubs with transit stations, pick-up and drop-off areas, bike parking and share, and micro-mobility options should be provided within this Place Type to accommodate the high-level non-vehicular traffic.

BUILDING FORM

• The typical building is a commercial, institutional, multi-family or mixed-use building of five to seven stories. Some buildings in Transit Station Areas are taller. Buildings are designed with active ground floor uses to support a vibrant pedestrian environment. They have tall ground floors and a high degree of transparency using clear glass windows and doors.

OPEN SPACE

• Improved open space is a key feature of this Place Type. Community Activity Centers include numerous improved open spaces such as plazas, patios, and courtyards that may include landscaping. Public open spaces such as small parks and greenways, and natural open spaces such as tree preservation areas, are also an important feature and should be included in centers.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Wide sidewalks with hardscape amenity zone or landscape zone

Ⓑ Regular street trees on core streets

Ⓒ Highly amenitized public realm with frequent open spaces

Ⓓ Ground floors with retail, patios, or other active uses

Ⓔ Upper story balconies and rooftop patios

Ⓕ Improved multi-modal connectivity and mobility hub amenities

Ⓖ Well-connected, amenity-rich transit stops

Ⓗ On-street parking and screened or wrapped parking lots/structures

PLACE TYPES: REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTER

Goal: Provide major employment locations and cultural destinations for residents from throughout the Charlotte region.

Regional Activity Centers are large, high-density mixed-use areas, typically along transit corridors or major roadways, that provide access to goods, services, dining, offices, entertainment, and residential for regional residents and visitors.

LAND USE

• Uses in Regional Activity Centers, which are frequently vertically-mixed, include office, multi-family, retail, restaurant and entertainment, personal service, and institutional.

CHARACTER

• This Place Type is characterized by its urban form, with mid to high-rise commercial, residential, and civic/institutional buildings in a pedestrian-oriented and transit-friendly environment.

MOBILITY

• The transportation network supports transit access and complements land uses and design to create a “park once” environment, so that even those who drive to the center are comfortable and encouraged to use other modes within the center.
• The street network is very well-connected, with small blocks and highly walkable connections along streets and between destinations. Easy access and multiple connections between these centers and surrounding residential neighborhoods help reduce auto trip lengths, keep some vehicles off the Arterials, and encourage transit, walking, or bicycling to the Center.
• Arterials provide for safe and comfortable transit, pedestrian, and bicycling movement. There are frequent opportunities to cross the Arterials, and the pedestrian facilities accommodate large groups of people.

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• Mobility hubs with transit stations, pick-up and drop-off areas, bike parking and share, and micro-mobility options should be provided within this Place Type to accommodate the high-level of non-vehicular traffic.

BUILDING FORM

• The predominant building type is a mid- or high-rise building (over 5 stories) with commercial, institutional, multi-family or a mix of uses in the buildings. Buildings within Regional Activity Centers (outside of Uptown) that exceed 20 stories should be developed with benefits to the community.
• Buildings are designed with active ground floor uses to support a vibrant pedestrian environment. They have tall ground floors and a high degree of transparency using clear glass windows and doors. Buildings are encouraged to step back after 3-5 stories, to provide a human scale at street level.
• Buildings over 8-10 stories may have “point towers,” where only a smaller portion of the building mass is built to the maximum height in order to maintain views and natural light. The portion of the building that is stepped back to the tower can be used for private open space and amenities.

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OPEN SPACE

• Improved open space is a key feature of this Place Type. Regional Activity Centers include numerous improved open spaces such as plazas, patios, and courtyards that may include landscaping. Public open spaces such as small parks and greenways, and natural open spaces such as tree preservation areas, are also an important feature and should be included.

HIGHLIGHTS

Ⓐ Safe pedestrian connections, including midblock crossings

Ⓑ Wide sidewalks with hardscape amenity zone or landscape zone

Ⓒ Safe, accessible bike facilities (grade separated or buffered on major streets)

Ⓓ Highly amenitized public realm with transit stops and mobility hub

Ⓔ Ground floors with retail or other active uses, buildings oriented to street

Ⓕ Rooftop patios and upper story balconies

PLACE TYPES QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

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03

POLICY FRAMEWORK

• Introduction

• Goal 1: 10-Minute Neighborhoods

• Goal 2: Housing Access for All

• Goal 3: Neighborhood Diversity and Inclusion

• Goal 4: Transit- and Trail-Oriented Development

• Goal 5: Safe and Equitable Mobility

• Goal 6: Healthy and Active Communities

• Goal 7: Integrated Natural and Built Environments

• Goal 8: Diverse and Resilient Economic Opportunity

• Goal 9: Retain Our Identity and Charm

• Goal 10: Fiscally Responsible

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INTRODUCTION

The Comprehensive Plan’s Policy Framework 1) builds upon the guiding principles, vision elements and community values, 2) provides actionable responses to the Equitable Growth Framework’s priorities of improving access, better distributing the costs and benefits of growth, and creating asset-based and culturally rich places; and 3) establishes new policy direction for the City that will require partnerships and collaboration across departments, organizations, public, private and non-profit sectors, and the broader community. For each of the 10 Goals introduced in the Equitable Growth Framework, the Policy Framework defines success through a set of Objectives, highlights more significant departures from business as usual through Big Policy Ideas, articulates a diverse set of Policies, and catalogs an initial set of recommended Projects and Programs for moving the dials in the right direction.

POLICY FRAMEWORK OVERVIEW

The table below defines each of the Policy Framework components in more detail. For each component, a short description is accompanied with a direction on how that component is intended to be used.

POLICY ICONS

The following icons are used in this section to highlight policies that tie in to the Place Types or require additional coordination and long term efforts.

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GOALS

The Comprehensive Plan goals reflect the voice of our community. They make critical connections between community values, guiding principles and vision elements; articulate key elements of the growth strategy and establish the foundation for complete communities and complete places; and provide the structure for the Plan's Policy Framework. The ten goals of the Plan are shown below and detailed with each of their objectives, big policy ideas, policies, projects, and programs throughout the rest of Section Three.

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1. 10-MINUTE NEIGHBORHOODS

2. NEIGHBORHOOD DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

3. HOUSING ACCESS FOR ALL

4. TRANSIT- AND TRAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

5. SAFE AND EQUITABLE MOBILITY

6. HEALTHY, SAFE, AND ACTIVE COMMUNITIES

7. INTEGRATED NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

8. DIVERSE AND RESILIENT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

9. RETAIN OUR IDENTITY AND CHARM

10. FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE

GOAL 1: 10-MINUTE NEIGHBORHOODS

All Charlotte households should have access to essential amenities, goods, and services within a comfortable, tree-shaded 10-minute walk, bike, or transit trip by 2040. Not all neighborhoods are expected to include every essential amenity, good, or service, but every resident should have access within a ½ mile walk or a 2-mile bike or transit trip.

OBJECTIVES

Increase the percentage of households, both new and existing, within a comfortable, tree-shaded 10-minute walk, bike, or transit trip of the following services and amenities:

1a) Fresh, healthy food opportunities.

1b) High performance transit station. (cross-reference: Goal 7)

1c) Park, plaza, nature preserve, or other public space. (cross-reference: Goal 6)

1d) Trail, greenway, or other “all ages and abilities (AAA)” bicycle facility. (cross-reference: Goal 4, Goal 5)

1e) A concentration of daily goods and services (applies to Neighborhood, Community, and Regional Activity Center).

1f) Non-emergency health care services or pharmacy. (cross-reference: Goal 6)

1g) Community facilities (libraries, schools, senior centers, community centers, early childhood education, etc.).

1h) Financial services (banks or credit unions).

1i) Family sustaining wage jobs. (cross-reference: Goal 8)

1j) Advanced technology delivery service and supportive digital access.

Note: Transit is both a means of access and an essential service and thus is addressed in both the Goal and Objective 1b.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Develop a robust network of food co-operatives (co-ops), community gardens, and neighborhood-based food sharing networks.
• Create a culture of developer-community collaboration through Community Benefit Agreements.

POLICIES

Regulatory Changes

1.1 Encourage higher density, walkable, mixed-use development in and near Activity Centers and transit stations, and allow development bonuses for projects that include benefits to the community (applies to Regional Activity Center, Community Activity Center, Neighborhood Center, and Campus). (cross-reference: Goal 4, Goal 5, Goal 6, Goal 8)

1.2 Support the evolution of existing underserved neighborhoods which are not proximate to services or lack facilities such as sidewalks and street trees, into complete neighborhoods by implementing regulatory changes that encourage desired residential and commercial redevelopment and infill development. Example regulatory changes include allowing the continued use of neighborhood commercial establishments (applies to Neighborhood 1 and Neighborhood 2), permitting small-scale neighborhood commercial and office uses (applies to Neighborhood Center and Neighborhood 2), reducing or eliminating parking requirements, ensuring mobility infrastructure provides adequate space for street trees, and increasing shared parking allowances. (cross-reference: Goal 1, Goal 6, Goal 10)

1.3 Implement complete neighborhood policies that encourage mixes of different types of uses, depending on the development's context (applies to Neighborhood Center, Neighborhood 1, and Neighborhood 2).

1.4 Support the development of neighborhoods with increased accessibility via multiple transportation modes to a variety of destinations, through regulatory changes such as refinements to block-length and connectivity standards and by permitting neighborhood-supportive commercial development in appropriate locations adjacent to residential neighborhoods.

1.5 Use Community Benefit Agreements or other incentives, to encourage housing developments that include childcare facilities or that provide funding for such facilities.

Public Investment

1.6 Integrate existing and emerging technologies and future innovations in planning, policy, and infrastructure investments to facilitate delivery of goods and services directly to residents and businesses.

1.7 Continue to undertake and expand inclusive neighborhood planning processes, particularly in underserved communities, to incorporate plans for improved connectivity; prioritize public investments such as bicycle facilities, sidewalks, transit stops, and parks; and identify appropriate locations for food opportunities, shopping, and community facilities. (cross-reference: Goal 3 and Goal 5)

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FOODSCAPING

References to urban farming and foodscaping in this document should include the consideration of methods such as aquaponic, hydroponic, and aeroponic production in greenhouses; orchards; micro livestock production (bees and chickens); herbal and medicinal plantings; permaculture; food forests; and the potential for sensory engagement and multi-generational education.

1.8 In collaboration with the County, prioritize investment in public gathering areas, plazas, parks, tree-shaded greenways, and shared-use paths in parts of the City and County that lack such facilities, and fill pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure gaps in areas near schools, parks, greenways, Activity Centers, and community facilities.

1.9 Require an increased level of investment in adjacent neighborhoods when large projects with public funding are implemented nearby.

1.10 Through the implementation of the Tree Canopy Action Plan, ensure adequate structures, systems (large tree wells or planting strips, structural soil or suspended pavement systems, etc.) and resources for maintenance are provided to support large healthy tree canopy along streets that will shade pedestrians and provide public benefit. (cross-reference: Goal 7)

Other City Initiatives

1.11 Support urban farming and accessibility to fresh food opportunities (public and private community gardens, farmers markets, co-ops, neighborhood-based CSAs, etc.) especially within communities that currently lack 10-minute access to healthy food sources. See Public and Private Foodscaping on this page for more information. (cross-reference: Goal 6)

1.12 In collaboration with Mecklenburg County Health and Human Services, support development of neighborhood health clinics, particularly within communities that lack 10-minute access to health services. Use My Community Resource Center (CRC) Connection Tool app data to identify critical areas in need of health clinics. (cross-reference: Goal 6)

1.13 Develop strategies, potentially including financial incentives or through Community Benefit Agreements, to encourage inclusion of full-service grocery stores in new mixed-use development and within areas in the city that are deemed to be food deserts where healthy produce and meats are not available. (cross-reference: Goal 6)

1.14 Continue to require the development of private spaces that are open to the public, such as plazas, preserves, and walking paths. Broaden the types of spaces that qualify through revisions to development regulations and other City regulations.

1.15 Encourage walkable neighborhood-oriented mixed-use development and neighborhood commercial establishments adjacent to and at intersections of major thoroughfares within neighborhoods.

1.16 Invest in programs that address cultural and language barriers that may hinder access to essential amenities, goods, and services.

1.17 In collaboration with the County, expand access to childcare and pre-K programs, prioritizing support for programs serving neighborhoods that are currently lacking these facilities.

1.18 Encourage local, community-based banks and credit unions to support residents and businesses within neighborhoods that have limited access to traditional banks.

1.19 Coordinate with neighborhood and other grassroots organizations during the planning and review of neighborhood infill development projects to ensure that these developments provide benefits to the community.

1.20 Ensure the implementation of 10-minute neighborhood development policies align with the Stormwater Master Plan, promote the health of stormwater features (creeks, wetlands, stream buffers, floodplains, and drainage infrastructure), and maintain stormwater management objectives. (cross-reference: Goal 7)

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

1.21 Increase and expand tree-shaded pedestrian and bicycle network density and connectivity.

1.22 Identify and fill gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle network within ½ mile of: parks, public open space, trails, and greenways; Activity Centers; high-performance transit stations; and low-cost health care, pharmacies, community facilities, and banks.

1.23 Implement new community green spaces, including tree plantings and surface water and stormwater facilities, on vacant and underutilized parcels, especially in neighborhoods with deficient access to parks and open space. Provide a framework for communities to program and activate these new public spaces.

1.24 Work with property owners to implement community gardens, food forests, and farmers’ markets on vacant parcels in neighborhoods with deficient access to healthy food opportunities. See Public and Private Foodscaping sidebar on page 72 for more information on creative and emerging food urban agriculture opportunities.

1.25 Continue to implement and evaluate development standards for block length, street trees, street connectivity requirements, and required connections to existing on-street and off-street pedestrian and bicycle facilities and trails.

1.26 Provide information and resources to communities planning for and launching food co-ops, food forests, community gardens, and other public and private foodscaping opportunities.

1.27 Provide information and resources to support flexible and innovative approaches for finding and combining funds from various sources, in partnership with community-based early childhood education programs.

1.28 Provide information and resources, particularly about funding options, to neighborhood organizations and local groups to help support new and existing community centers.

1.29 Partner with credit unions and/or other financial institutions to develop a program to deliver financial services and financial literacy educational programs to neighborhoods that lack local access.

1.30 Increase public investment in neighborhood health clinics.

1.31 Establish an Infrastructure Advisory Council to assist in the assessment of infrastructure throughout the city and develop strategies that balance equitable investments in areas most in need, including areas with absent and insufficient facilities, areas growing fastest, and areas targeted for growth.

1.32 Establish a Community Benefits Coalition to further study and champion Community Benefits.

1.33 Work with the Community Benefits Coalition to develop a menu or playbook of benefits to the community that may be supported with incentives or Community Benefits Agreements if included or addressed within development projects. Align desired benefits with the type of incentive (e.g. regulatory vs. financial). Utilize direction from the Plan and subsequent small area plans to develop priority ranking of desired benefits to seek through incentives.

1.34 Explore and implement a program that provides an opportunity for neighborhood organizations to work with developers to create desired benefits to the community through a partnership or agreement.

1.35 Coordinate with CDOT, CATS and the larger CIP process to prioritize implementation of pedestrian, bicycle and transit projects in neighborhoods that have proximity to essential amenities, goods and services, but poor transportation access.

1.36 Coordinate with Housing and Neighborhood services to explore the establishment of Voluntary Agricultural Districts to foster the growth, development and sustainability of family farms.

CASE STUDY: THE DETROIT PEOPLE’S FOOD CO-OP

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The Detroit People’s Food Co-Op has positively impacted residents in Detroit’s historic North End, predominately those in the African American community and the low and moderate-income population. This full-service grocery store is open to the public and cooperatively owned by members of the community. The co-op created more than 20 jobs for residents and improved access to fresh food, educated the community about nutrition, and supported local businesses. The City assisted in community engagement and organization, as well as in helping to identify and orchestrate a multi-source funding strategy.

Image source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-21/a-black-owned-food-co-op-grows-in-detroit

CASE STUDY: COMMUNITY BENEFITS ORDINANCE (CBO) IN DETROIT, MI

Detroit passed a CBO in 2016 that requires developers to proactively engage with the community to identify benefits that can offset negative impacts of the project. The CBO requires developments with a private investment of $75 million or more and a subsidy or tax abatement from the City valued at more than $1 million to execute an agreement with a Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC). An NAC is created for every qualifying project made up of residents of the impact area and appointees selected by the Planning Department and City Council.

GOAL 2: NEIGHBORHOOD DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Charlotte will strive for all neighborhoods to have a diversity of housing options by increasing the presence of middle density housing (e.g. duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and other small lot housing types) and ensuring land use regulations allow for flexibility in creation of housing within neighborhoods.

OBJECTIVES

2a) Increase the score of the overall Access to Housing Opportunity equity metrics index for the City.

2b) Increase the number of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in existing and new neighborhoods.

2c) Increase the number of middle density units such as duplexes and triplexes in all neighborhoods.

2d) Increase the number of middle density housing options, including fourplexes, along high performance transit and other major thoroughfares.

2e) Increase the number of middle density housing options in transition areas between low intensity neighborhoods and higher intensity Place Types.

2f) Increase the number of residential dwelling units with less than one parking space per unit.

2g) Increase the number of small footprint housing units in existing and new neighborhoods.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Allow more housing types in traditional single-family zoning districts to encourage housing diversity everywhere in our community.

POLICIES

2.1 Overcome exclusionary zoning practices that further housing segregation and displacement, exacerbate sprawl, and make housing unaffordable.

Allow single-family, duplex, and triplex housing units, as well as small footprint homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), in neighborhood Place Types and corresponding zoning districts where single-family housing is allowed. Mapping of neighborhood Place Types will respond to and incorporate the Equitable Growth Framework. Site development standards will be specified within the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) such as residential lot size, setbacks, scale, height, parking, and other dimensional standards.

Note: Implementation of this in vulnerable communities (as defined by this Comprehensive Plan) will be complemented with development of an Anti-Displacement Strategy with greater community participation in developing specific strategies to meet housing needs and protect vulnerable residents from displacement. New zoning and entitlements included in the UDO would not change any codes, covenants and restrictions (CC&Rs) associated with HOAs.

2.2 Allow fourplexes on all lots fronting arterials where single-family detached dwellings are permitted when key city priorities are advanced and benefits to the public are provided such as affordable and/or workforce housing.

2.3 Provide opportunities for single-family attached and small-scale multifamily housing developments (15 units or less) near transit services and along arterials in lower density, predominantly residential areas (applies to Neighborhood 1).

2.4 In the development regulations, allow single-family attached housing, fourplexes and small-scale multifamily housing along major thoroughfares in lower density, predominantly residential areas (applies to Neighborhood 1).

2.5 In the development regulations, support the development of ADUs within a greater number of existing neighborhoods with changes to setback requirements and other site development standards.

2.6 In the development regulations, reduce barriers to development of new high quality middle density housing units such as reducing the need to rezone, reduced application fees, expedited processing, density bonuses, reduced or eliminated parking requirements, and reduced or waived inspection fees.

2.7 Work toward reducing or removing barriers identified in the Accessory Dwelling Unit Report and the Charlotte Housing Framework report regarding missing middle housing and evaluate development regulations, such as required lot sizes, clustered home development, neighborhood character overlay districts, and other tools to reduce barriers.

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CASE STUDY: COTTAGE CLUSTERS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

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Several communities in the Pacific Northwest are enabling and encouraging cottage clusters as a way to address missing middle housing opportunity. Cottage clusters generally involve taking a relatively large tract of land (e.g. 10,000 square feet), which would ordinarily accommodate a few single-family homes, and instead zone and develop it for several small buildings, adding up to the same size (e.g. six 1,080-square-foot homes). The cottage zoning includes requirements that cottages face a common yard and/or have design elements like deep porches. Residents typically share parking and other community facilities. This idea of housing type can provide a reasonably-priced housing option while also promoting sustainable living, especially located near transit, bikeways, and other walkable amenities.

Image source: https://medium.com/@pdx4all/cottage-clusters-portlands-chance-to-build-community-in-a-new-way-7c504c5b260b

CASE STUDY: AUSTIN ANTI-DISPLACEMENT TASK FORCE

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In 2017, the City of Austin, Texas created a task for by resolution to address gentrification and displacement in the rapidly growing city. The Task Force, made up of 17 members appointed by the Mayor and City Council, conducted a ten-month process that resulted in a set of detailed policy recommendations and funding mechanisms. The group also worked in conjunction with faculty at the University of Texas. Key outcomes from their final report included recommendations for increasing funding through tax increment financing; developer fees tied to density bonuses; lobbying state legislature to allow inclusionary zoning; Right to Remain and Right to Return policies; limiting property taxes for seniors; Tenant Opportunity to Purchase policies; a Troubled Building Initiative (as seen in Chicago); and strongly enforcing fair housing laws and examining vestiges of housing discrimination.

Image sources: austintexas.gov

2.8 Ensure that housing access incentives provide adequate infrastructure and minimize impact on environmental quality and tree canopy.

2.9 In the development regulations, require larger developments to include a mix of housing types.

2.10 In the development regulations, assess and reduce barriers to innovative housing solutions such as tiny homes, modular housing, and co-housing, as well as innovative construction and delivery methods such as prefabrication, 3D printing, and other emerging technologies.

2.11 Preserve existing supply of middle density and small footprint housing and reduce conversion to large-footprint single-family units using a neighborhood character overlay district.

2.12 Use small area planning efforts to determine additional strategies to integrate more diverse housing options that support each community’s unique character.

2.13 Allow parking to be unbundled from lease of property or include as part of development agreements, especially in areas with a parking management strategy.

2.14 Request an amendment to the State Landlord and Tenant Act to add Post Judgment Relief agreement. This will allow residents to have evictions removed from their records upon payment-in-full of outstanding debt/judgment.

2.15 Request legislation to amend state landlord-tenant and fair housing laws to end housing discrimination for persons with misdemeanors and some felony criminal records.

2.16 Ensure that landlords, particularly of affordable housing units, maintain a habitable premises as part of the State Landlord and Tenant Act.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

2.17 Continue to reduce parking for transit supportive development, pocket neighborhoods, cottage clusters, and development in Activity Centers to reduce the cost of development and encourage development of more mixed housing types in areas with a parking management strategy.

2.18 Adopt changes to development regulations to allow for more housing options/types and additional ADUs within existing neighborhoods, and adopt flexible requirements for minimum housing mix in new master planned developments.

2.19 Develop new design form management standards for middle density housing in the development regulations or develop an overlay conservation district that supports the intent of the Equitable Growth Framework.

2.20 Work with the development community to determine the most important tools and barriers related to delivery of middle density housing.

2.21 Provide education and guidance for the development of innovative housing solutions such as tiny homes, modular housing, co-housing, and prefabricated homes.

2.22 Create a funding program to assist low-income homeowners with construction of ADUs in return for a commitment to rent the unit at an affordable price, for a designated period of time (i.e., in exchange for a deed restriction associated with the ADU), especially in areas with existing or planned access to employment, amenities, goods, and services. This serves the dual purpose of increasing affordable housing stock and increasing homeowner income.

2.23 The Mayor and City Council should commission an Anti-Displacement Stakeholder Group/Commission.

2.24 The Group/Commission will launch an anti-displacement study and recommend tools and strategies for protecting residents of moderate to high vulnerability of displacement. Using Commission recommendations, Council may adopt an Anti-Displacement Strategy focusing on vulnerable neighborhoods.

2.25 Continue and establish programs to provide support for inclusion of affordable housing units when single-family units are removed, particularly in neighborhoods vulnerable to displacement.

CASE STUDY: MINNEAPOLIS ENDS SINGLE-FAMILY-ONLY ZONING

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Minneapolis, Minnesota is a leader in changing neighborhood housing options for the future. Its Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan established policy paving the way for eliminating exclusionary single-family zoning policies citywide, which in the past has kept most people of color and practically all low-income people from single-family zoned neighborhoods. Affecting nearly 425,000 residents, Minneapolis originally set aside 70% of its residential land for single-family homes. Allowing duplexes and triplexes in all of these areas triples the housing capacity in many neighborhoods and significantly reduces the City's need to extend utilities and services to support greenfield development. The change is intended to: make the Minneapolis more affordable and walkable; combat climate change by reducing commutes; and reduce racial and economic segregation. Proponents also say that it can help create attainable housing for millennials and young families, and help seniors age in place with the potential for extra income.

Image source: 1) https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/mn/minneapolis/2537-grand-ave-s/pid_32786669/ 2) https://www.edinarealty.com/multi-family-for-sale/2522-madison-street-ne-minneapolis-mn-55418-5608998

GOAL 3: HOUSING ACCESS FOR ALL

Charlotte will ensure opportunities for residents of all incomes to access affordable housing through the preservation of naturally occurring affordable and workforce housing and increasing the number of affordable and workforce housing units through new construction.

OBJECTIVES

3a) Increase housing opportunities for households with limited or no vehicle access by increasing the number of affordable rental and deed-restricted housing units, targeting households at 80% AMI or less, within ½ mile of Activity Centers and high performance transit.

3b) Retain the number of naturally occurring affordable and workforce housing units in the community by managing change within existing neighborhoods.

3c) Increase the number of affordable and workforce units targeting households at 80% AMI or less within mixed-income developments (e.g. affordable and workforce units mixed with market rate units).

3d) Reduce the cost burden on households spending more than 45% of household income on housing and transportation.

3e) Reduce the cost burden on households spending more than 30% of household income on housing.

3f) Increase the number of homeownership opportunities for low to moderate-income households, especially in areas with low Access to Housing Opportunity scores, as identified by the Equitable Growth Framework.

3g) Dedicate at least 10% of future housing trust funds to homeownership in areas with low Access to Housing Opportunity scores, as identified by the Equitable Growth Framework.

3h) Increase housing opportunities and supporting infrastructure and amenities for residents choosing to age in place.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Lead the charge to pass enabling legislation for mandatory inclusionary zoning and implement throughout the community.
• Create a robust program of restorative justice targeting homeownership, creation and growth of small business, and equity building for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community, including strategic application of existing tools (e.g. low interest loans, small business assistance, etc.) and development of new tools (e.g. community land trusts, land banks, commercial lease assistance, etc.).

POLICIES

Regulatory Changes

3.1 Investigate new City-wide regulatory programs that require or incentivize development of affordable housing in mixed-income developments, in standalone affordable housing developments, and in targeted neighborhoods as defined by the Equitable Growth Framework and consistent with the Plan. This may include advocating changes to state law to enable conditional zoning to require the inclusion of affordable housing units in areas lacking affordable housing options, and applying the bonus program for affordable housing currently included in TOD districts to other Activity Centers and other targeted Place Types.

3.2 Encourage changes to state law that hamper the development of affordable housing, or that block City efforts to increase the stock of affordable housing, such as allowing fee waiver programs for affordable housing, broadening the allowable uses of tax increment, or fee reimbursement for projects that meet affordability standards.

3.3 Develop market-focused regulatory and administrative changes to encourage production of affordable housing.

3.4 Implement neighborhood character overlay districts where appropriate to encourage preservation of existing smaller footprint and Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) units.

3.5 Encourage development of a variety of housing product types, including affordable and workforce units, in Activity Centers by reducing or eliminating parking requirements and/ or using shared parking, increasing height or density allowances when these units are built, or providing other development incentives (applies to Regional Activity Center, Community Activity Center, Neighborhood Center, and Campus). (cross-reference: Goal 1, Goal 4)

3.6 Use the Place Type Manual (in the Manuals and Metrics) to guide design transitions within neighborhoods to more intense use types that can accommodate affordable and workforce housing (applies to Neighborhood 1 and Neighborhood 2).

3.7 Encourage and address barriers to the development of transit-oriented housing. (cross-reference: Goal 4)

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CASE STUDY: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN ASHEVILLE

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Asheville, North Carolina is shifting from business as usual in launching their Resolution Supporting Community Reparations for Black Asheville, through which the City acknowledges systemic racism locally and nationally and how it has affected its Black community members. To make amends for the extensive racial injustice in the community’s history, Asheville is offering its Black community members new opportunities. The resolution directs the City Manager to establish a process to develop short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations to specifically address the creation of generational wealth and to boost economic mobility and opportunity in the Black community. It also states that “the resulting budgetary and programmatic priorities may include but not be limited to increasing minority homeownership and access to other affordable housing, increasing minority business ownership and career opportunities, strategies to grow equity and generational wealth, closing the gaps in health care, education, employment and pay, neighborhood safety and fairness within criminal justice.”

Image source: https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/en/news/asheville-passed-reparations-rest-north-carolina-should-do-same

3.8 Explore ways to encourage housing developments to include childcare facilities or that provide funding for such facilities through Community Benefits Agreements or financial or regulatory incentives.

3.9 Ensure continued viability and regulatory compliance of naturally occurring affordable housing, including manufactured housing (i.e. mobile homes).

Public Investments

3.10 Support an increased Housing Trust Bond Allocation to expand programs and develop more units.

3.11 Investigate ways the City and other public agencies can leverage financial resources or debt capacity to support incorporating affordable housing (for rent and/or ownership) into new development projects, such as use of tax increment revenues.

3.12 Continue using publicly owned land (the City, County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) etc.) for development of affordable housing, especially in areas with low Opportunity for Housing equity metrics.

Support for Homeownership

3.13 Continue preserving existing naturally occurring affordable housing, focusing on housing located in areas experiencing growth, through the creation and expansion of programs and efforts such as those available through Housing and Neighborhood Services and other community stakeholders.

3.14 Continue to strengthen and expand access to homeownership opportunities for residents.

3.15 Continue investing in improving the quality of existing affordable housing units.

3.16 Increase efforts to make homeowners aware of the Mecklenburg County property tax relief program for elderly homeowners¹ and consider working with the County to develop new programs to mitigate the impacts of rising property values on lower-income households, particularly in neighborhoods where housing costs are rapidly appreciating².

3.17 Raise awareness of existing City programs supporting homeownership such as the Down Payment Assistance Programs through HouseCharlotte and Community Heroes.

3.18 Coordinate and streamline existing programming that aids homeowners who desire to stay in their homes.

Strategic Partnerships

3.19 Support the creation of affordable housing through strategic acquisition, land banking, and use of public land, and through the use of organizations such as community land trusts to purchase vacant land, land going into foreclosure, or land in other forms of receivership.

3.20 Work with regional housing partners to ensure that City goals and policies guide implementation of affordable and workforce housing developments within the City’s planning area.

3.21 Create sustainable homeownership in vulnerable communities through partnerships with banks and other financial agencies.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

3.22 Include provisions similar to the Bonus Menu included in the TOD Zoning Ordinance in some or all new zoning districts associated with Neighborhood 2, Community Activity Center and Regional Activity Center Place Types. A Bonus Menu is a system in a UDO allowing adjustments to development standards if select provisions are provided, typically benefiting the public.

3.23 Develop an affordable housing nexus study to determine the relationship between new development and the demand it creates for affordable housing units.

3.24 Provide regulatory incentives for mixed-income developments.

3.25 Explore new and support existing public-private partnerships to build affordable housing on City-owned land, especially in areas with low transportation costs such as near high-performance transit stations.

3.26 Use the Equitable Growth Framework metrics to evaluate privately initiated rezoning applications and their impact on affordability.

3.27 Create an ombudsman office to support developers of affordable housing and the implementation of benefits to the community from development projects.

3.28 Explore policies and programs to encourage inclusion of childcare facilities in all neighborhood types and Activity Centers.

3.29 Support and expand the existing Housing First model and collective impact approach to providing housing and other support services to unsheltered residents.

CASE STUDY: HOUSING AN INCLUSIVE DENVER

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With reasonably priced and accessible housing becoming harder to come by in Denver, Colorado, the strategic document Housing an Inclusive Denver outlines approaches to create and preserve strong and opportunity-rich neighborhoods with diverse housing options that are affordable to all Denver residents. The goal is to create affordable housing in vulnerable areas in addition to areas of opportunity, while preserving affordability and housing quality. In addition, the City has focused on stabilizing areas with the highest risk of involuntary displacement while supporting the homeless population by providing them with a network of temporary and supportive housing options.

The City of Denver’s role includes:

• Coordinating housing investments with the City’s other affordability resources;
• Strengthening the City’s Preservation Ordinance;
• Supporting land-use regulations that incentivize affordable and mixed-use housing;
• Exploring additional forms of tax relief for low and moderate-income households struggling to keep up with rising property taxes; and
• Exploring a rental registry that would require landlords to register their rental properties and participate in regular inspections for health and safety standards.

Image source: 1) https://wallpapercave.com/denver-colorado-wallpapers 2) https://www.denver80238.com/welcome-home-2-3/

GOAL 4: TRANSIT- AND TRAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (2T-OD)

Charlotte will promote moderate to high-intensity, compact, mixed-use urban development along high-performance transit lines and near separated shared-use paths or trails.

OBJECTIVES

4a) Increase the percentage of households and jobs (new and existing) within ½ mile access to trail access points.

4b) Increase the share of households and jobs with safe access to high-performance transit stations (light rail, streetcar, bus rapid transit, and bus routes with headways of 15 min or less during peak hours).

4c) Increase the share of commercial (mixed use, entertainment, and employment) development within a 10-minute tree-shaded walk or bike trip of trail access points and high-performance transit stations.

4d) Approach maximum build out under the TOD zoning for development within a 10-minute walk or bike trip of trail access points and high-performance transit stations.

4e) Increase the number of moderate- to high-intensity developments along regional transit and trail routes.

4f) Increase safe and connected bike infrastructure within two miles of transit stops and trail access points.

4g) Decrease the percentage of transit stops without access to sidewalks.

4h) Provide signalized pedestrian crossings at all transit stops on thoroughfares.

4i) Increase the number of connections between new trail and/or transit line developments and neighborhoods of varying land uses, densities, and architecture.

4j) Increase the number of developments that are transit-oriented in both location and design.

4k) Create engaging public spaces near high-performance transit stops, stations and trails.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Prioritize equitable TOD (E-TOD) along high-performance transit and trail corridors.

POLICIES

Regulatory Changes

4.1 Continue to ensure TOD zoning matches characteristics of Activity Centers as discussed in the Plan (applies to Regional Activity Center, Community Activity Center, Neighborhood Center, and Campus).

4.2 Encourage active transportation, connectivity, and multimodal access through updates to the development regulations, active transportation design standards, and mobility investment prioritization processes as outlined in the Strategic Mobility Plan and Goal #5. (cross-reference: Goal 5, Goal 6)

4.3 For new high-performance transit corridors, apply TOD zoning that facilitates market-supported transit-oriented developments served by local transit services and shared-use paths in a context-sensitive design that reflect individual corridor opportunities as guided by the Strategic Mobility Plan and Future Place Types Map.

4.4 Near high-performance transit stations, apply TOD zoning which does not require minimum parking and has parking maximums. (cross-reference: Goal 5)

4.5 Support application of innovative parking management strategies and technologies to meet parking requirements.

4.6 Locate parking behind or beside buildings and consolidate into shared areas to optimize pedestrian environment along main streets.

4.7 Explore the feasibility of implementing shared parking/parking district programs, especially in higher density areas with a mix of uses. (cross-reference: Goal 1, Goal 3)

4.8 Consider multimodal transportation impacts in the development approval process, with a focus on transportation investment priorities.

4.9 Investigate use of shared parking at park-and-ride mobility hubs to facilitate access to higher intensity Activity Centers with more limited parking.

4.10 Encourage new developments to locate along shared-use paths outside environmentally sensitive areas, and to create public gathering spaces along the shared-use paths, allowing development to have direct access to or front the shared use.

4.11 Evaluate the existing Environmental Bonus Menu items in the TOD zoning ordinance to understand their use and efficacy over time to support our low carbon city goals; update the Bonus Menu as necessary for TOD and other zoning districts.

THE NEW TOD: TRAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

As cities and neighborhoods continue to grow, the implementation of Trail-Oriented Developments has proven effective in connecting and strengthening communities. A recent publication by the Urban Land Institute summarizes the success of Trail-Oriented Development, and the use of investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to catalyze high-quality development. Many cities have experienced a boost to their economic growth based on improved real estate value and an increase in retail visibility. Cities are supporting Trail-Oriented Development with programs that build multi-use paths, and zoning that supports mixed-use land uses near trails.

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Public Investment

4.12 Support CATS System Plan update vision statements: 1) establish reliable transit to connect the region, enhance quality of life, and strengthen access to opportunities, 2) use transit to influence and shape growth while respecting community character, and 3) increase mobility in each corridor through effective transit investments.

4.13 Establish a mobility investment priority hierarchy within high-performance transit station areas that assigns priority to pedestrians/transit riders, cyclists/shared-mobility users, delivery/loading needs, and finally, private motor vehicles, in that order, when making mobility investments and designing transportation facilities including streets.

4.14 Prioritize shared-use path development to connect to existing neighborhoods, fill gaps in the existing multimodal network with all ages-and-abilities facilities and connect to new higher intensity developments as identified in the Strategic Mobility Plan. (cross-reference: Goal 4. Goal 6)

4.15 Support investment in utilities and multipurpose facilities (e.g. greenways provide recreation opportunities, transportation connections, and stormwater benefits) in urban areas and established neighborhoods through coordinated efforts with County Park and Recreation, CDOT, Storm Water Services, and other partners. (cross-reference: Goal 4, Goal 6)

4.16 Investigate use of micromobility solutions (bike-share, scooter-share, etc.) to address intra-neighborhood circulation concerns.

4.17 Ensure all 2T-OD development prioritizes tree-shaded and safe sidewalks, trails, and bike routes using trees to maximize comfort and safety.

4.18 Locate high-performance transit stations to maximize accessibility to neighborhoods with low-income households while avoiding direct displacement of existing residents.

Strategic Partnerships

4.19 In coordination with regional and local partners including Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO), North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), and major employers, support transportation demand management (TDM) strategies that recognize the value of parking management, walk and bike facilities, and transit service. (cross-reference: Goal 5, Goal 8)

4.20 Improve inter-departmental and inter-jurisdictional cooperation in planning, implementing, and maintaining shared-use path facilities. (cross-reference: Goal 5)

4.21 Improve coordination of transit alignment planning with land-use planning to maximize effectiveness of transit investments by using future Place Types mapping to inform transit planning efforts.

4.22 Coordinate with Business Districts (such as Business Improvement Districts), Municipal Service Districts and other area organizations on local transportation projects and leverage resources as available.

4.23 Encourage public-private partnerships for creation of high-quality public spaces integrated with new development within high-performance transit station areas.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS

4.24 Assess development regulation standards related to connectivity, block length, and transportation cross-sections and update for consistency with Plan policies.

4.25 Identify programs and regulations to encourage developers to approach the maximum allowable density for development near trail access points and high-performance transit.

4.26 Work with partners to develop transportation demand management (TDM) strategies that support plan goals.

4.27 Develop a scorecard system for prioritizing in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) bicycle, pedestrian, and other active mode capital improvements for low-income communities that have limited accessibility and connectivity.

4.28 Work with regional partners to develop a coordinated implementation phasing plan for regional trail corridors like the Cross Charlotte Trail, the Mooresville to Charlotte Trail, and the Silver Line Rail Trail.

4.29 Identify and address safety issues and barriers to access to existing high-performance transit stops. Add publicly accessible streets, alleys, and through-block passages to improve pedestrian connections when possible.

4.30 Work with CATS and Housing, Neighborhood Services, and other local and regional partners to leverage park and ride locations, as well as surplus parking to provide equitable TOD opportunities.

CASE STUDY: CHICAGO’S 2020 E-TOD POLICY PLAN

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Equitable TOD (E-TOD) is development that enables all people regardless of income, race, ethnicity, age, gender, immigration status or ability to experience the benefits of dense, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development near transit hubs. E-TOD elevates and prioritizes investments and policies that close the socioeconomic gaps between neighborhoods that are predominately people of color and those that are majority white. E-TOD projects also help to ensure that the people and households who most need transit access are not priced out of station areas or transit corridors.

Since 2013, the City of Chicago has been encouraging compact, mixed-use transit-oriented development (TOD) near CTA and Metra rail stations. This development model can create additional benefits to the community such as increased transit ridership and more walkable communities, both of which reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, while also promoting public health and adding to the City’s tax base. A January 2019 TOD ordinance amendment included an explicit equity focus and expanded TOD policy provisions to include property near several high-frequency bus corridors as well as extended the incentives to the densest residential zones. The 2019 Ordinance also requires the City to evaluate the performance of recent TOD projects and recommend revisions to the TOD provisions where appropriate. The City’s 2020 E-TOD Policy Plan is further advancing equitable TOD development in Chicago by:

• Leveraging publicly owned land and vacant lots near transit for public benefit;
• Preserving unsubsidized affordable housing in TOD zones;
• Strengthening affordability and accessibility requirements;
• Developing incentives and policies to preserve and retain community organizations, small businesses and other neighborhood assets in TOD zones; and
• Prioritizing E-TOD in applications with city funding.

Image source: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/traffic+downtown+chicago

GOAL 5: SAFE AND EQUITABLE MOBILITY

Charlotte will provide safe and equitable mobility options for all travelers regardless of age, income, ability, race, where they live, or how they choose to travel. An integrated system of transit and tree-shaded bikeways, sidewalks, shared-use paths, and streets will support a sustainable, connected, prosperous, and innovative network that connects all Charlotteans to each other, jobs, housing, amenities, goods, services, and the region.

OBJECTIVES

5a) Eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries to make our streets safe for everyone.

5b) Increase investment and access in our historically underinvested communities and modes of transportation to support equitable and affordable mobility options.

5c) Increase access to sustainable and zero carbon transportation modes and mobility options to support our Strategic Energy Action Plan.

5d) Increase the share of trips made without a car and broaden multimodal connectivity to expand the capacity of our transportation infrastructure.

5e) Prioritize transportation investments that promote economic vibrancy by managing congestion, connecting our workforce with opportunities, and advancing community priorities.

5f) Integrate and implement emerging transportation services, technologies, and programs that align with community goals.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Set an aggressive mode shift goal that determines how the City 1) prioritizes investment in different modes of transportation, 2) allocates limited right-of-way space among different modes of transportation, 3) manages growth and travel demand, 4) sets new policies, and 5) supports equity and affordable transportation choices in all areas of the City.

POLICIES

5.1 Prioritize the safety and comfort of travelers in all modes when planning and implementing mobility projects and focus safety investments on the “high injury network” - the 10% of Charlotte streets that account for 100% of serious injury and fatal crashes.

5.2 Define transportation equity and develop quantitative equity metrics to guide the prioritization of programs and projects that ensure that people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds have access to high-quality, affordable transportation choices. (cross-reference: Goal 1)

5.3 Increase access to zero carbon transportation options for first- and last-mile trips and provide new and adapt existing transportation infrastructure to support a range of tree-shaded sustainable transportation choices. (cross-reference: Goal 6)

5.4 Increase the mode share of walking, biking, transit and shared/micro mobility, setting and tracking goals for investment in infrastructure, strategies, and education programs. (cross-reference: Goal 4, Goal 6)

5.5 Build and maintain our transportation infrastructure utilizing design, materials, and a program of regular maintenance that minimizes lifecycle costs and keeps our roadways and bridges in good repair.

5.6 Expand street network connectivity, street tree canopy and protect right-of-way in growing and redeveloping areas to provide efficient access, route choices, and complete streets for all travel modes. (cross-reference: Goal 4)

5.7 Ensure that public space and complete street design standards are incorporated into all street projects, recognizing that our streets should be designed as one of our greatest public space assets.

5.8 Support the testing, piloting, and implementation of emerging mobility strategies, technologies, and creative uses of public right-of-way to evaluate low-cost and nimble mobility and streetscape investments.

5.9 Monitor, measure and respond to shifting mobility preferences, behaviors and patterns.

5.10 Leverage technology and partnerships to better manage congestion through advance planning, intelligent transportation systems, demand management, and shared public/private funding strategies.

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5.11 Improve neighborhood-serving mobility hubs (bus stops and ridesharing locations), especially in low-income neighborhoods, by providing amenities such as LED lighting, covered seating, trees, and aesthetic improvements, and co-locating with e-vehicle pickup locations.

5.12 Include in the development regulations an integrated Traffic Impact Study (TIS) / Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that requires development and redevelopment projects that meet an established threshold to evaluate and address the multi-modal transportation impacts of the development.

5.13 Increase the number of pedestrian and bike routes that are shaded by trees for safety, health and aesthetic value.

5.14 Participate in and support regional transportation efforts such as Connect Beyond, Beyond 77, and others.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

5.15 Vision Zero Action Plan: Continue implementation of the City’s adopted Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries for all who share Charlotte streets by 2030.

5.16 Pedestrian Program: Continue targeted investment in the pedestrian and sidewalk network to make strategic investments and fill network gaps. (cross-reference: Goal 1)

5.17 Bicycle Program: Continue targeted investment in the bicycle network to make strategic investments and build a complete network.

5.18 Transit Bus Priority Corridors: Implement transit priority and high-frequency service on key corridors.

5.19 ADA Transition Plan: Implement the ADA Transition Plan by upgrading mobility infrastructure in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).

5.20 Maintenance & Street Resurfacing: Resurface city streets on a regular (typically 12-to-15-year) cycle, maintain existing sidewalks, pavement markings, signage, and curb/gutter; take advantage of routine resurfacing to improve bicycling and walking facilities.

5.21 Connectivity Program: Create new network connections for all modes, alleviate pressure on existing thoroughfares by providing new route choices, and stitch together Charlotte’s historically disconnected street grid. (cross-reference: Goal 4)

5.22 Complete Streets Program: Build out new streets where right-of-way has been reserved by development and address needs identified by the regional CTP, and retrofit existing streets to include facilities for all modes, sidewalks, and street trees. (cross-reference: Goal 4)

5.23 Traffic Control Devices & Intelligent Transportation Systems: Maintain, upgrade, and coordinate traffic signals to improve the efficiency and safety of Charlotte’s existing mobility network for all users.

5.24 Bridge Maintenance: Inspect, maintain, repair, and replace City-maintained bridges.

5.25 Street Lighting: Complete the conversion to LED lighting and install new street lights within our existing mobility network.

5.26 Transportation Demand Management: Implement programs and projects that educate, encourage, and provide incentives for residents to choose travel modes other than single-occupant personal vehicles. (cross-reference: Goal 4, Goal 8)

5.27 Partnership Opportunities: Preserve and support mobility opportunities by allocating dedicated funding for advanced planning and right-of-way acquisition for mobility projects, for public-private partnerships that allow the city to enter into cost-share arrangements with private stakeholders, and for upgrades to planned NCDOT infrastructure projects that are necessary to achieve the city’s mobility goals.

5.28 Strategic Mobility Plan: Develop and regularly update a Strategic Mobility Plan, that establishes a comprehensive and prioritized strategy of mobility projects and programs to implement the shared goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

5.29 Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED): Leverage investments in the mobility network to incorporate design considerations, features and elements that enhance personal and community safety (e.g., limiting obstructions, increasing lighting, etc.).

CASE STUDY: SEATTLE’S COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION (CTR) PROGRAM

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Seattle’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program plays a crucial role in the City’s effort to reduce congestion and provide mobility choices. The CTR program is a key transportation demand management effort toward mitigating the impacts of population and employment growth while facilitating a thriving business environment, diverse travel choices, and a reduction in transportation emissions. The 2019-2023 CTR Strategic Plan establishes the vision for the next era of Seattle’s program, building upon recent program innovations to position Seattle and its employers for ongoing success. The Plan sets performance targets and identifies priorities for the next five years. It outlines a package of potential solutions to continue to deliver high-quality programming and meet the challenges Seattle’s transportation network faces. It also establishes updated Drive Alone Rate (DAR) targets to support Seattle’s overall mode split goals. Each area of the city is assigned a target and the achievement of all network targets means that the city as a whole reaches its DAR target of 25% by 2035, established by the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan.

Image source: 1) https://seattlegood.org/listings/commute-seattle/ 2) https://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/green/tableau-tool-tackles-seattles-terrible-traffic

CASE STUDY: MANAGING TRANSPORTATION DEMAND IN ARLINGTON

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Residents, employees and visitors of Arlington, Virginia are benefiting from the enhanced Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs the City has executed. With a goal to reduce single-occupancy vehicles (SOV) trips throughout the community, the City is offering more and better mobility choices, which encourage people to use forms of transportation other than driving alone. TDM programs include increased parking prices, discounted transit passes, high-quality bicycle parking and associated facilities (e.g. showers and changing rooms), and real-time transit information. The City has worked with developers and businesses to support infrastructure, amenities, polices and programs to maximize the effectiveness of TDM strategies.

Image source: https://www.commuterpage.com/ways-to-get-around/local-bus-systems/

GOAL 6: HEALTHY, SAFE, AND ACTIVE COMMUNITIES

All Charlotteans will live and work in safe and resilient neighborhoods that enable healthy and active lifestyles by reducing exposure to harmful environmental contaminants, expanding and improving the quality of tree canopy cover, encouraging investment in walking, cycling, and recreation facilities, and providing access to healthy food options and health care services.

OBJECTIVES

6a) Increase percentage of households within a comfortable, tree-shaded 10-minute access of primary care health care services.

6b) Increase the number of days that air quality is “good” to 325 and reduce the number of days that air quality is “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse to zero.

6c) Address key determinants of health to reduce chronic disease and other negative health outcomes.

6d) Increase the percentage of low-income households living within ½ mile of a Medicaid care provider or free clinic.

6e) Increase the number of urban farming and fresh produce opportunities (e.g. community gardens, farmers markets, co-ops, food forests, neighborhood-based CSAs, etc.) accessible to all neighborhoods within a 10-minute walk or bike ride.

6f) Increase access to healthy foods to eliminate food deserts within the City.

6g) Improve perceptions of public safety and measure perception through community surveys.

6h) Improve public safety and public safety perceptions through annual reductions in violent and property crimes.

6i) Provide accommodations for diverse populations, including multilanguage capabilities, accessibility and universal design, and culturally responsive programming.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Institute a program for local grassroots shared management or adoption of and programming of public open space, and encourage development of organizations throughout the City to create additional opportunities to engage in active living and help develop healthy neighborhoods.

POLICIES

Regulatory Changes

6.1 Monitor, maintain, and seek to improve environmental determinants of health such as air and water quality through public investments and City ordinances that target current locations of environmental contaminants (e.g. heavy industrial sites and residential communities near highways) and through conscientious mapping of Place Types and new zoning districts.

6.2 Review current regulations to ensure tobacco-related air pollution is appropriately addressed in public spaces and in privately-owned spaces that are accessed by the public.

6.3 Review noise-related impacts on health and ensure that regulations, trees, and other natural systems appropriately address placement of noise-sensitive land uses such as residential uses in relation to noise-generating uses.

6.4 Review zoning regulations to help ensure the ability to place emergency medical facilities in locations that ensure all residents have adequate access to emergency care.

6.5 In the development regulations, reduce barriers to growing food in most or all zoning districts.

6.6 Adjust development regulations to allow for outdoor farmers' markets and pop-up markets in appropriate locations (applies to Regional Activity Center, Community Activity Center, Neighborhood Center, Campus, Commercial, Innovation Mixed Use, and Neighborhood 2). (cross-reference: Goal 1)

6.7 Facilitate the application of North Carolina's Voluntary Agricultural District to help preserve existing farmland, especially those contributing to the production of local fresh food.

Public Investment

6.8 Work with the County to identify the appropriate roles the City should undertake in supporting urban parks and open spaces (e.g., programming, maintenance/management, funding, etc.).

6.9 Prioritize construction of a complete active transportation network that includes connections to parks and health care facilities and reduces motor vehicle emissions by increasing public investment in tree-shaded sidewalks, bikeways, and shared-use paths, prioritizing in parts of the City that lack facilities. (cross-reference: Goal 4, Goal 5)

6.10 In coordination with Mecklenburg County, increase City investment in building and operating recreational facilities such as parks, plazas, and fields, prioritizing with the County those parts of the City that lack adequate facilities in accordance with the Park and Recreation Master Plan. (cross-reference: Goal 7)

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CASE STUDY: COMBATTING OBESITY WITH SIDEWALKS IN PERTH

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It has been documented that the built environments can increase physical activity by encouraging walking and cycling. A study in Perth, Australia examined the cost impact and change in health-adjusted life years (HALYs) of installing additional sidewalks in established neighborhoods. Installing and maintaining an additional 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of sidewalk in an average neighborhood with 19,000 adult residents was estimated to cost $3.0 million (US) over 30 years and resulted in 24 HALYs over the lifetime of an average neighborhood adult resident population. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was approximately $125,000 (US)/HALY. Examining results from multiple neighborhoods included in the study indicated that increasing population densities significantly improves cost-effectiveness. Thus, sidewalks should be considered alongside other complementary elements of walkability, such as population density, land use mix, street connectivity and safety.

Image source: https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/city-of-perth-urban-forest-program-acknowledged-for-role-in-improving-public-health/

6.11 Invest in the development of healthy food options in existing food deserts, such as through technical assistance or financial grants to support community gardens, urban agriculture, edible orchards, and farmers’ markets; financial incentives to attract businesses that offer healthy food options; and the use of available City-owned land for community-run agricultural or grocery uses.

6.12 Invest in programs that address social determinants of health conditions (e.g., tobacco use, substance abuse, domestic violence, and other determinants) targeting neighborhoods that are the most vulnerable.

6.13 Adequately fund proactive tree care and planting for public trees to boost tree canopy in all neighborhoods to reduce exposure to air pollution and reduce chronic health issues.

6.14 Coordinate economic development and brownfield remediation efforts to encourage cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites.

Other City Initiatives

6.15 Invest in programs that address cultural and language barriers that may hinder access to health care resources or other social services.

6.16 Explore opportunities for new public markets and large-scale farmers’ markets, as well as improvements to existing markets per direction provided in the City’s Farmers Market Study.

6.17 Where appropriate, use Health Impact Assessments to evaluate the impact of proposed public and private projects on community health.

6.18 Proactively address health hazards in housing and advance design that improves physical and mental health.

6.19 In existing and future City facilities including recreational facilities, encourage the sale of healthy food options by concessionaires and in vending machines.

6.20 Identify locations that are appropriate for more intensive uses that minimize negative environmental impacts on City residents and the natural environment, and consider rezoning to support compatible land uses. (cross-reference: Goal 8)

6.21 Require that all small-area planning processes include an inventory of existing environmental contaminants that impact the surrounding community, and that final small-area plans include strategies to address these contaminants through a mix of City and private investment.

6.22 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will prioritize collaborative community partnerships that seek to improve and enhance the safety of the public. These partnerships will include youth engagement programs such as Envision, REACH Academy, and others which are intended to provide more positive futures for our youth. In addition to these programs, the department will focus on innovative crime management strategies focused on reducing victimization. The department will continue to provide support services for crime victims and effectively investigate criminal behavior.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

6.23 Develop and integrate healthy living policies into City messaging.

6.24 Develop preventative programs and community events designed to promote improved health and wellness decision-making.

6.25 Incorporate tree canopy expansion and improvement efforts into existing and new public health initiatives across the city.

6.26 Reevaluate residents’ access to healthy food through an updated community food assessment.

6.27 Evaluate programmatic, investment, and regulatory opportunities to create new public open and green spaces within existing neighborhoods, such as using vacant lots, and require public open spaces and small parks as part of new developments.

6.28 Examine existing and new ordinances to identify mechanisms to encourage or require tree-shaded streets and more publicly accessible open spaces and street trees in a variety of development types.

6.29 Develop an Urban Agriculture Action Plan and include a land suitability analysis of City-owned properties to determine which may be suitable for urban agricultural uses.

6.30 Create an advisory group of food sellers and producers to identify strategies to expand access to healthy, fresh foods into food deserts.

6.31 Pursue improvements to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market.

6.32 Create a Charlotte Farmers Market Association to coordinate and strengthen the city’s existing and new farmers’ markets through an entity governed by farmers’ market managers and sponsors and supported by paid staff.

6.33 Work with community partners to reduce noise and air pollution by using trees and other vegetative barriers.

6.34 Work with City and community partners to develop a Public Space Master Plan that identifies opportunities for parks, plazas, and other public spaces. (cross-reference: Goal 9)

CASE STUDY: PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC OPENS SPACES (POPOS) IN SAN FRANCISCO

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POPOS are publicly accessible spaces in forms of plazas, terraces, atriums, small parks, and even snippets which are provided and maintained by private developers. Their creation is linked to the urban planning rules of the City which require that a certain percentage of sites developed in Downtown be accessible to all.

San Francisco’s first privately owned, publicly accessible park was constructed at the base of the Transamerica building in the late 1960s. At that time, building codes neither required nor encouraged development of public space at street level, and accordingly most office towers were built right to the edge of the property. The few exceptions were in buildings where developers sought density and height bonuses and created public space as a condition for approval.

In the 1985 Downtown Plan the city codified the conditions under which developers had to construct publicly accessible open spaces, which could be as diverse as plazas, greenhouses, or atriums, but had to comply with standards of landscaping, design, seating, and bathrooms.

The San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) developed an inventory of POPOS, complete with a printable map. SPUR has also made numerous recommendations for improving the public’s experience of existing POPOS, including better signage, better maintenance of the facilities, more seating, and cleaner bathrooms, as well as recommended standards for future POPOS.

Image source: 1¹) https://sf.curbed.com/maps/sf-parks-private-popos-public-owned-spaces-downtown 2²) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/471048442256632549/

GOAL 7: INTEGRATED NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

Charlotte will protect and enhance its surface water quality, tree canopy, and natural areas with a variety of trees, plantings, green infrastructure, green building practices, and open space at different scales throughout the entire community as a component of sustainable city infrastructure that addresses the threat of climate change.

OBJECTIVES

7a) Increase the number of small parks and plazas within or near neighborhoods and neighborhood centers that contain community amenities such as recreation facilities, tree canopy, retrofit stormwater facilities, and water quality/natural resource education.

7b) Increase the acreage of protected (including public and private) natural lands (such as forests and natural areas) within the City.

7c) Improve surface water quality such that all City streams meet surface water quality standards.

7d) Increase the acreage of amenitized open space and forested or tree-shaded open space within private developments that are open to the public.

7e) Reduce the number of flood prone areas through mitigation efforts.

7f) Strive to source 100% of energy use in municipal buildings and fleet from zero carbon sources by 2030.

7g) Reduce per capita carbon emissions in the City.

7h) Slow canopy loss on privately owned residential properties.

7i) Improve quality of tree canopy (age, species, etc.) to ensure it lasts for future generations.

7j) Increase the number of developments utilizing clustered residential and low-impact development, and green building practices or receiving green building certifications.

7k) Continue to expand the use of green stormwater infrastructure to improve water quality and reduce flooding, including infill and redeveloping areas.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Implement the Strategic Energy Action Plan by implementing Resilient Innovation District (RID) programs throughout the City that are responsive to different Place Types and contexts and promote net zero development and carbon neutrality.

POLICIES

Regulatory Changes

7.1 Continue to implement and encourage green stormwater infrastructure (such as bioswales, rain gardens, and green roofs).

7.2 Require tree preservation on all sites while allowing innovative and flexible mitigation measures for sites with competing city priorities.

7.3 Update development regulations to better mitigate impacts from development and infill development such as stormwater runoff and tree removal.

7.4 Consider adopting new development regulations that encourage energy efficiency improvements in existing residential and commercial buildings with emphasis on high energy users.

7.5 Continue to require development of publicly accessible shared-use path sections that connect the City's network through private developments and change private development standards to ensure that path sections constructed on private lands meet public standards. (cross-reference: Goal 4)

7.6 Review development regulations for opportunities to remove barriers, and/or create requirements or incentives for sustainable development practices, including regulations relating to implementation of solar power through community solar arrays, energy efficiency in buildings, electric vehicle charging stations, and battery energy storage in residential and non-residential areas.

7.7 Prioritize preservation of large, healthy, mature trees and existing contiguous healthy forests.

7.8 Expand and enhance solutions to control or eliminate invasive plant species on public lands and in tree preservation areas during development.

7.9 Protect trees of a certain health and size on public and private property through changes in regulatory and administrative practices, incentives and education.

Public Investment

7.10 Ensure sufficient resources for City staff to enforce policies and codes, monitor progress, educate and review environmental performance against targets and objectives on a regular basis. Ensure all projects include funding to assess environmental impacts and ensure compliance with applicable environmental legislation.

7.11 Fully fund a proactive care program and strategic tree planting program for all public trees to ensure safety, longevity and maximum public benefit.

7.12 Increase sustainable and resilient building standards applicable to existing and new City owned buildings through a revised Sustainable Facilities policy – for example, require LEED certification for new construction, solar energy generation where feasible, energy benchmarking, temperature set points, and net zero energy consumption.

7.13 Continue to preserve and protect tree canopy on City-owned properties and consider a tree planting program on City-owned properties available for public use, such as the Urban Arboretum Trail and Program.

7.14 Purchase high priority natural lands that serve important City interests such as stormwater management, recreation, and water quality.

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7.15 Evaluate all relevant life cycle costs of using green stormwater infrastructure or more traditional engineered stormwater systems when making public infrastructure investment decisions.

7.16 Increase investment in green space and tree canopy initiatives to support housing and neighborhood policies and ensure residents are connected to nature and environmental justice issues are avoided. (cross-reference: Goal 1, Goal 2, Goal 3)

7.17 Develop community partnerships, funding, and regulatory concepts to facilitate the removal of invasive species on private property and increase the quality of our tree canopy.

7.18 Invest in the assessment and monitoring of tree data from year to year.

Strategic Partnerships

7.19 Establish new partnerships and expand existing partnerships with Mecklenburg County and other stakeholders that may include other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community organizations, and nonprofits to secure private funding and support to develop new and existing parks, tree canopy and shared-use paths, and the protection of open spaces as neighborhoods grow.

7.20 Continue working with Mecklenburg County Land Use and Environmental Services Agency within shared watersheds to set resiliency policies, establish implementation programs, and implement consistent regional standards to manage change within watersheds. Use the Charlotte-Mecklenburg All Hazards Plan and future County stormwater residual flood risk goals to guide these efforts.

Other City Initiatives

7.21 Continue to test, pilot, and document green stormwater infrastructure best management practices.

7.22 Develop a dashboard to track progress towards the City's climate action goals.

7.23 Evaluate the quality of and accessibility to parks, particularly in underserved communities, and partner with the County to set higher standards as identified. (cross-reference: Goal 6)

7.24 Encourage green building techniques and practices in all types of renovations and new developments, implement the Charlotte Sustainable Facilities Policy, and continually review effectiveness of policies and regulations that support sustainable development.

7.25 When there are perceived or real conflicts between trees and other city priorities, economic development projects, and infrastructure improvement projects, where feasible the City will support creative and innovative solutions that protect the tree canopy and complement other goals.

7.26 Continue diversifying recreation opportunities to provide inclusive environments for all ages and abilities.

7.27 Explore programs to protect natural and less developed lands that serve important recreational and natural drainage purposes through means such as conservation easements in partnership with Mecklenburg County, land trust partners, and landowners.

7.28 Develop a benchmarking policy for larger commercial buildings to compare energy and water usage over time and encourage conservation measures.

7.29 Continue to transition the City to a circular economy by expanding programs that maximize product reuse and recycling and minimize waste, such as City-wide composting.

7.30 Advance the City's sustainability goal to reduce carbon emissions through expanded electric vehicle infrastructure, better access to alternative modes of transit, increased energy efficiency in buildings, and increased use of solar energy at City-owned buildings.

7.31 Increase the number of developments utilizing conservation design and low-impact development.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

7.32 Develop climate change and disaster resilience plans for each neighborhood and use the future Mecklenburg County Stormwater residual flood risk goal data and Charlotte-Mecklenburg All Hazards Plan to guide mitigation actions.

7.33 Monitor and develop programs to mitigate the effects of urban heat island effect in historically red-lined communities.

7.34 Establish programs to educate the public on how to reduce individual environmental impact through sustainable practices relating to water usage, composting, fertilizers, and energy usage.

7.35 Replace the City’s fleet with electric or hybrid vehicles.

7.36 Improve the City’s composting and recycling programs.

7.37 Consider a program to help pay for energy efficiency improvements in low-income neighborhoods.

7.38 Work with the County on the development of an app that provides an interactive map of all public parks, open spaces, and trails.

7.39 Consider requiring bathymetric surveys as part of new developments to measure potential impacts of new developments on lakes and ponds located downstream of the development.

7.40 Explore tools to ensure streams and steep slopes have sufficient buffers of high-quality trees and associated vegetation to control erosion, nutrient loads and other pollution.

7.41 Conduct a study of existing wildlife habitat/ migration patterns to identify gaps in the ecological system. Map these locations and compare with sites identified for new park and recreation facilities, shared-use paths, enhanced tree canopy, riparian corridors, and areas targeted for green stormwater infrastructure facilities to identify overlapping open space priorities.

7.42 Implement a signage program throughout the City to provide clarity for shared-use path and park connections.

7.43 Modify development regulations for zoning districts associated with neighborhoods to provide publicly accessible open spaces as part of private developments.

7.44 Using the Tree Conservation Fund and potentially new funding sources, develop a program for land acquisition or conservation easements to support protection of prime conservation lands.

7.45 Explore development of a climate action plan to determine specific targets and metrics for carbon footprint reduction city-wide.

7.46 Evaluate opportunities to use trees and other vegetation on existing vacant parcels to provide ecosystem services (e.g. erosion control, stormwater and water quality services) to address surface water quality in the City.

7.47 Promote conservation easements to protect undisturbed forest patches and/or reforested areas, especially on vacant or industrial parcels.

7.48 Promote a healthy and diverse tree canopy, including:

• Uneven-aged, predominantly overstory broadleaf and coniferous trees with a native/ ornamental mixed species understory;
• Street trees of diverse species and a sustainable age distribution; and
• Ornamental trees used for visual interest and aesthetics, especially where utilities, signs, lights, and other constraints exist.

7.49 Support tree maintenance on private land in underserved and/or vulnerable neighborhoods and review recommendations provided in the Urban Forest Master Plan.

7.50 Establish minimum indoor air quality standards for certain classes of buildings (e.g. CMS schools, City buildings, etc.).

7.51 Implement Resilient Innovation Districts (RIDs) in communities throughout the City to encourage investment and experimentation into the best ways to establish energy independence. Existing Smart District and TOD Districts should receive priority consideration for implementation of low carbon programs and policies as they are prime locations for piloting these new RID programs.

7.52 Develop a comprehensive education and stewardship initiative to teach and equip residents to sustain our natural systems and tree canopy.

7.53 Increase awareness and quantity of the urban tree canopy with neighborhood serving public space through the Urban Arboretum Program.

CASE STUDY: BENEFITS OF TREE CANOPY IN CINCINATTI

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Cincinnati is taking a direct approach toward integrating the natural and built environment by increasing its urban tree canopy cover. This method will reduce the cost of cooling for residents, reduce the concentrations of air pollutants, and help mitigate flood, stormwater, and landslide risks. The City’s goal is to increase the citywide tree canopy coverage to at least 40% and ensure that canopy cover is at least 30% in all residential neighborhoods.

Image source: https://www.greenwichapts.com/

GOAL 8: DIVERSE AND RESILIENT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Charlotteans will have opportunity for upward economic mobility through access to a diverse mix of jobs and careers that align with education and skill levels of residents and the economic strengths of the region.

OBJECTIVES

8a) Increase the jobs-to-housing balance in Charlotte to ensure housing development keeps pace with job growth.

8b) Increase number of workers employed within the City’s target industries.

8c) Increase the number of businesses supported and/or participating in business support programs.

8d) Increase the rate of new business formation within the City.

8e) Increase the number and proportion of family sustaining wage jobs in Charlotte.

8f) Decrease the number of acres within mixed-use Place Types that are existing single-use commercial and office employment uses by allowing transitions to a mix of uses.

8g) Grow the presence of “micro-economies,” (the number of jobs located within community and neighborhood mixed-use areas).

8h) Maintain or increase the number of developed acres within Manufacturing & Logistics and Innovation Mixed Use Place Types.

8i) Maintain or increase the number of jobs located within Manufacturing & Logistics and Innovation Mixed Use Place Types.

8j) Grow the number of Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprises (MWSBEs) and cooperatively owned businesses, operating in the City.

8k) Increase the share of jobs at MWSBE-qualified businesses and within cooperatively owned businesses.

8l) Capture a greater share of employment growth within the City’s existing and planned Regional Activity Centers.

8m) Increase job-training opportunities that allow residents to obtain hard and soft skills needed to qualify for jobs within the City’s target industries.

8n) Maintain or increase the number of middle skill jobs (jobs that require education beyond high school but not a four-year degree).

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Develop Regional Activity Centers, especially in East and West Charlotte (see Implementation Strategy) with a mix of jobs, housing, schools and daycare services.
• Create a Citywide Strategic Jobs Plan for the City of Charlotte to ensure a coordinated strategy for increasing employment opportunity throughout the community.

POLICIES

Public Investment

8.1 Work with Mecklenburg County to revise and align business attraction incentives provided by the City and the County to focus on the quality and quantity of jobs in target industries, workforce development programs, and Activity Centers/priority employment areas. Working with workforce development partners, boost talent development strategies and incentives to maximize opportunities for local employment recruitment.

8.2 Use quality-of-life amenities, such as proximity to shared-use paths, transit, broadband Internet access, and diverse housing options, to attract businesses.

8.3 Prioritize transit investments that support access to employment opportunities, especially those that connect areas with low Access to Employment Opportunity equity metrics and employment areas with irregular schedules (night shifts, sunrise shifts, etc.).

8.4 Invest in amenities and infrastructure needed to support the transition of single-use commercial and office areas to mixed-use places in accordance with the Future Place Type Map. Prioritize these investments in areas lacking Access to Employment Opportunities.

8.5 Support retention, expansion, and development of Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprises (MWSBEs), small businesses, and micro businesses. Expand business corridor revitalization programs to align with the Future Place Type Map and prioritize investing in areas with a lack of access to economic opportunities to attract desired uses and support existing businesses (applies to Regional Activity Center, Community Activity Center, Neighborhood Center, Campus, and Innovation Mixed Use).

8.6 Invest in youth training and paid employment programs that expose youth to education, entrepreneurship, and career pathways.

Strategic Partnerships

8.7 Continue leadership role in regional efforts to support economic development with further emphasis on defined roles and responsibilities for the City, regional partners, and the state. Focus City efforts on project based business attraction/retention opportunities within target industries, investments in place-based economic development efforts and partner with placemanagement organizations that implement them, support for Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprises (MWSBEs), and support for workforce development efforts by providing resources and connecting training providers to residents and businesses.

8.8 Support and encourage the growth and creation of place-based economic development organizations that serve Activity Centers and employment areas. Encourage the use of funding tools (e.g. municipal service districts, business associations, business improvement districts) by these organizations.

8.9 Grow and promote the greater airport to support their master planning efforts.

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8.10 Support local and regional agencies and institutions (community colleges, job-training centers, service providers) on workforce training and employment opportunities, with a continuing focus on new and emerging types of careers (e.g. renewable energy).

8.11 Prioritize partnerships and funding for job training and workforce support service providers working in underserved areas and serving historically disadvantaged populations that do not have four-year degrees.

Other City Initiatives

8.12 Consider a district-wide parking program for older urban commercial districts to reduce costs and parking challenges for existing and new businesses.

8.13 Support initiatives that provide resources to build or rehabilitate retail spaces and other types of commercial spaces in business corridor revitalization areas and recruit and support tenants to these spaces in order to develop micro-economies.

8.14 Explore policies and programs, such as Community Benefit Agreements, to support the development of new and retention of community assets and amenities, and for workforce development in or near major employment centers.

8.15 Develop strategies to protect high value production and distribution areas, including those with good access to the airport and rail facilities, from encroachment of incompatible land uses and redevelopment pressures, and identify existing production and distribution lands that are appropriate to convert to other uses (applies to Manufacturing and Logistics and Innovation Mixed-Use). (cross-reference: Goal 6)

8.16 Identify infrastructure needed to support continued business expansion (applies to Regional Activity Center, Community Activity Center, Campus, General Industrial, and Light Industrial).

8.17 Ensure that City business recruitment initiatives focus on companies and industries that support key City policies such as providing a family sustaining wage and worker protections, offering opportunities for career advancement, and removing criminal background information from job applications and provide support to retain existing businesses that meet these goals.

8.18 Encourage the development of new housing opportunities within or near existing single-use commercial and office employment areas (applies to Regional Activity Center, Community Activity Center, Neighborhood Center, and Campus). (cross-reference: Goal 1)

8.19 Monitor the rate of capture of new jobs and housing in Activity Centers to ensure these areas are capturing the desired mixture of uses.

8.20 Support the growth of jobs and provision of workforce support services to areas lacking access to employment opportunities. (cross-reference: Goal 1)

8.21 Create a green workforce development program which provides the skilled workers needed to meet the demand for new sustainable products, technologies, and services.

8.22 Identify ways to maintain and increase the production of food in Charlotte’s “foodshed” and food production industries by supporting career pathways, access to resources and customers, and improving the quality of employment opportunities for people involved in the region’s agricultural sector.

8.23 Through Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs and other efforts, support employer-based transit subsidy, parking cash-out, and other incentives to provide improved multimodal job access. (cross-reference: Goal 5)

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

8.24 Map Place Types and associated zoning districts to ensure protection of production and distribution lands and reduce encroachment on valuable production and distribution lands by incompatible land uses.

8.25 Modify existing and create new programs to support the creation and growth of new and small businesses, including startup businesses, by providing support and assistance directly to businesses and increasing access to capital for new and small businesses.

8.26 Consider using green stormwater infrastructure (or other infrastructure) maintenance as a workforce development program.

8.27 Monitor reduction of jobs through automation. Work with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, K-12 education institutions, and workforce development partners to identify approaches to provide training in industry sectors that are losing jobs to automation.

8.28 Maintain and refine programs for tenant improvement assistance targeted in community corridors and Community Activity Center and Neighborhood Center Place Types. As an incentive to attract desired types of retailers, the City should establish a program that provides a subsidy for a portion of tenant improvement costs.

8.29 Consider comprehensive economic development programs, such as the City of Boston Worker Cooperative Initiative to expand worker ownership.

8.30 Develop employer-sponsored transit fare and other alternative mobility programs to provide improved job access.

8.31 Refine and potentially expand the Opportunity Hiring Grants Program (and/or similar efforts) to increase incentives and participation in the program based on project success. Consider expanding to provide incentives and opportunities for linking job/skill training initiatives.

8.32 Collaborate with non-profits and other providers to develop training and mentoring strategies to eliminate racial and cultural disparities in access to work opportunities.

8.33 Promote partnerships between existing Department of Labor registered apprenticeship programs, city departments, and contractors in the building trades industry for workforce development.

CASE STUDY: MANY FLAVORS OF BIDS IN MILWAUKEE

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The City of Milwaukee has taken an active role in supporting their Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) throughout the city to protect employment areas and cushion against economic downturns. Businesses, property owners and community members benefit from these BIDs, which improve, promote and revitalize neighborhoods and business and commercial areas, and ultimately, the broader community. Milwaukee has over 30 existing districts, including several that incorporate the City’s industrial areas. One noteworthy result from industrial-based BIDs is that the City has developed a evaluation matrix for industrial rezoning requests to ensure they do not impact high-value industrial lands.

Image source: 1¹ https://milwaukeeinsider.com/brewer-game-shuttles/ 2² https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/d/wi--milwaukee/veterans-fair/

CASE STUDY: TARGET GROWTH AREAS/VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES INCENTIVES

In 2018, Wake County North Carolina made changes to their Business Development Grant program to provide opportunities for use of incentives for businesses expanding or locating in targeted geographic areas. Targeted incentives for vulnerable communities are a critical tool for inclusive and equitable growth. The process of implementing these targeted incentives includes:

• A vulnerability index is used to designate areas of the county not benefiting from economic and population growth (based on poverty, quality of education, unemployment);
• A project that creates a minimum of 20 jobs that pay the Wake County living wage; and
• A minimum investment of $2 million.

The incentive available is up 35% of new tax growth over a 5 year period. Wake County Economic Development created a new tier for the Business Development Grant for companies that locate meet these crieteria. The goal of this new incentive tier is to provide opportunities for low- to mid-skill jobs in areas that would benefit from this level of employment. Previously, incentive tiers for the Wake County Business Development Grant required wages between 100 to 200 percent of the county average whereas the proposed tier requires a living wage, which is below $15.00 an hour.

GOAL 9: RETAIN OUR IDENTITY AND CHARM

Charlotte will retain the identity of existing neighborhoods by intentionally directing redevelopment, limiting displacement and cultivating community-driven placemaking that elevates the importance, quality and design of places.

OBJECTIVES

9a) Increase the rate of restoration and adaptive reuse of existing structures originally built for commercial uses and reduce the rate of tear downs.

9b) Increase the number of publicly funded placemaking and art installations throughout the City, especially within older neighborhoods and areas with populations vulnerable to displacement.

9c) Reduce the speed and scale of older homes and existing trees being demolished and replaced with newer homes in existing neighborhoods, homes within historic districts, and homes within the Old Historic Route 4 Survey area.

9d) Reduce the number of residents experiencing involuntary displacement.

9e) Improve jobs-skills match in and near areas with residents who may be vulnerable to displacement.

9f) Preserve and improve the tree canopy in Charlotte as an important part of the city’s character.

9g) Increase the capture of new jobs within “work” Place Types proximate to neighborhoods with owners and tenants who may be vulnerable to displacement.

9h) Provide financial and technical support to small businesses in areas at high risk for commercial displacement.

9i) Increase the percentage of new jobs and households in Regional and Community Activity Centers.

9j) Increase the capture of new jobs within Regional, Community, and Neighborhood Centers adjacent to neighborhoods with owners and tenants who may be vulnerable to displacement.

9k) Identify, catalogue and understand the patterns of the character defining elements in neighborhoods and places that are uniquely Charlotte.

9l) Increase the number of historic districts that preserve a wide range of Charlotte’s diverse history and character.

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Protect Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts (NOCDs), especially in underserved neighborhoods, established neighborhood serving commercial areas, and ETODs.
• Become a leader in neighborhood-influenced placemaking, public space, public art and other cultural installations.

POLICIES

Regulatory Changes

9.1 Explore reduced parking requirements and shared parking to allow adaptive use of historic buildings and significant character areas.

9.2 Protect trees throughout the city during the development process, including infill projects.

9.3 Continue to coordinate historic preservation ordinances with the City’s fire code and building code.

9.4 Prioritize protection of neighborhoods highly vulnerable to displacement through the mapping of Place Types and associated zoning districts.

9.5 Support adaptive reuse of historic structures through a variety of tools, such as tax abatement programs, revolving funds to support preservation, grant and education programs, incentives for energy efficiency, and tax credits for historic properties.

9.6 Explore implementation of “neighborhood character” overlay zoning in appropriate neighborhoods to reduce or mitigate changes to community character, while balancing needs to diversify the City’s housing stock.

9.7 Encourage preservation and adaptive reuse of existing structures through strategic flexibility of development regulations.

9.8 Promote the reuse and redevelopment of under-used surface parking lots to support the expansion and creation of local businesses.

9.9 Elevate public realm and architectural design standards to reflect the culture and history of the community in existing and new places.

Public Investments

9.10 Mitigate neighborhood-defined cultural displacement through support and incentives for local businesses, markets, and community amenities and funding to support artwork placed through the City’s Public Arts Program (enabled by the Public Art Ordinance) and the City’s Placemaking Program.

9.11 Within neighborhoods vulnerable to displacement, emphasize essential public amenities and facilities (transit stop facilities, local parks, public open space, bicycle facilities, sidewalks, share-used paths, street lighting, community centers, etc.) through capital improvement prioritization process and in coordination with the County.

9.12 Fully fund a proactive tree care program for public trees.

9.13 In CIP, continue to invest in the installation of planting strips that support large trees through maturity.

CASE STUDY: THE CHICAGO PRIZE

The Chicago Prize, an award established by The Pritzker Traubert Foundation (PTF), awarded $10 million in grants to community-led initiatives that invest in the revitalization of neighborhoods and the retention of businesses and residents on the South and West Sides of Chicago. Improvements in both physical conditions and civic infrastructure are intended to increase the economic and social benefits for the community. The City works with the awardee group and Chicago’s neighborhoods to assist in implementation of proposed ideas.

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9.14 Explore opportunities to support vulnerable neighborhoods such as weatherization and grant programs which enable low-income homeowners to remain in or move into homes and preserve historic structures, when feasible.

9.15 Develop a fund for the maintenance of artworks created through City funding, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Art Program, the Placemaking Fund, and Capital Improvement Projects.

9.16 Develop a fund for the maintenance and programming of public spaces.

9.17 Continue and expand City and partner grant programs that support neighborhoods and other community organizations to undertake projects aimed at retaining local identity and charm and supporting capacity building of artists.

Strategic Partnerships

9.18 Educate community members and City staff (including inspection staff) about regulations and programs that support historic preservation.

9.19 Enhance support of neighborhood planning and engagement to develop “neighborhood stewardship ethos” in all neighborhoods by identifying and empowering residents to be community planners and neighborhood advocates.

9.20 Develop a formal process, such as through Neighborhood Improvement Districts, to support neighborhoods and organizations seeking to improve and enhance neighborhoods and business districts; and provide technical support and guidance for capacity building.

9.21 Develop registries of vacant properties and large surface parking lots and work with property owners to evaluate and encourage beneficial reuse of sites.

9.22 Create a culture of developer-community collaboration through the encouragement or requirement of Community Benefit Agreements.¹

9.23 Through infrastructure investment and partnerships, invest in public art within neighborhoods and prioritize installations within vulnerable neighborhoods.

9.24 Formalize a toolbox for restoration and reuse of existing structures, prioritizing historic structures.

9.25 Formalize a process with neighborhoods and Mecklenburg County to program new and existing public spaces with culturally relevant activities.

Other City Initiatives

9.26 Encourage innovative urban design, placemaking, and preservation strategies along commercial and cultural corridors to maintain and enhance landscapes and public spaces.

9.27 Develop a Preservation Plan that identifies places, traditions, landscapes, and buildings that tell the full story of the City’s history and outlines future direction for celebrating and enhancing the unique physical character, cultural values, and social identity of the City.

9.28 Support public outreach efforts to notify residents of vulnerable neighborhoods of City programs of programs that help avoid displacement, such as aging-in-place programs.

9.29 Provide design guidance for infill and redevelopment projects in Charlotte’s historic neighborhoods and other cherished places.

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS

AND PROGRAMS

9.30 Cultivate placemaking and local culture by continuing to fund the Placemaking Program and allocate 1% of capital project budgets for public art from local, regional, and national artists.

9.31 Consider increasing the percentage of capital project budgets devoted to placemaking and public art to further support placemaking, development of public art installations and capacity building for local residents, designers and artists.

9.32 Develop a vacant properties registry and program to work with landowners to repurpose sites.

9.33 Develop a program to encourage the development of infill small-scale single-family and duplex residences that meet the City’s desired form requirements.

9.34 Develop a community design handbook to guide redevelopment of Charlotte’s cherished places that are not protected by a historic district designation and associated guidelines.

9.35 Develop a monitoring system to track redevelopment in historic areas and neighborhoods vulnerable to displacement.

9.36 Provide financial and technical support to small businesses in areas at high risk for commercial displacement.

9.37 Complete final survey of remaining five historic neighborhoods identified in Historic Route 4 Study.

9.38 Implement the maintenance recommendations for public art identified in the Art Conservation Report (produced in 2015 by RLA Art and Architecture Conservation) by funding maintenance of publicly-owned art installations.

9.39 Expand upon previous mapping efforts to develop a map of public and privately developed art throughout the City that is accessible to the public.

9.40 Expand technical assistance to residents who want to develop more detailed understanding and guidance in identifying assets, preserving and creating places, and documenting the character of their community.

9.41 Develop and support a low-income assistance program that would aid in tree preservation and care for trees on private property.

CASE STUDY: NATURALLY OCCURRING CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN NEW YORK CITY

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New York City has been a leader in creating unique neighborhoods throughout its history, however keeping the individuality has been an important topic in recent discussions. With a commitment to keep its neighborhoods special as prices increase, Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY (NOCD-NY) were created as an alliance of artists, neighborhood leaders, activists, and policymakers committed to revitalizing New York City from the neighborhood up. Capitalizing on the vibrant culture that already exists in their communities, leaders are standing up for racial justice, environmental justice, immigrant rights, and economic justice to make their neighborhoods even better. The City helps facilitate workshops and focus groups, makes critical links to citywide plans and policies, and provides other tools and resources.

Image source: Getty Images

GOAL 10: FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE

Charlotte will align capital investments with the adopted growth strategy and ensure the benefits of public and private sector investments benefit all residents equitably and limit the public costs of accommodating growth.

OBJECTIVES

10a) Increase the capture of new jobs and households in Activity Centers.

10b) Increase infrastructure investments (water/sewer replacement, street lighting, stormwater facilities, streetscaping, etc.) in existing urbanized areas planned for significant new development that are constrained by infrastructure capacity.

10c) Maintain or decrease the cost to serve residents per capita (e.g. costs to provide transportation, schools, parks, libraries, police, fire, etc.).

10d) Increase tax revenue generated per acre by new development.

10e) Increase capture of new development in areas with available service and infrastructure capacity (e.g. water/sewer, stormwater, transit etc.).

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BIG POLICY IDEAS

• Leverage private investments and direct at least half of public infrastructure spending over next 20 years to the most vulnerable neighborhoods and businesses, especially those within the Vulnerability to Displacement Overlay.

POLICIES

10.1 Develop and maintain a process that ties the Community Improvement Program (CIP) and Bond Package projects to framework policies and objectives in the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Prioritize projects deemed to better support equitable community goals.

10.2 Empower neighborhoods and businesses districts to aid in the development of Capital Improvement Plan and Bond projects¹.

10.3 Continue to evaluate the City's annexation strategy to ensure alignment with the City's fiscal objectives and feasibility to provide City services to the area/s for which one or more property owners is requesting annexation.

10.4 Utilize value capture and impact mitigation tools in high growth areas to ensure new development is adequately served.

10.5 Prioritize funding from a variety of mechanisms and tools for reinvestment in non-high growth areas.

10.6 Use fees and funding tools and evaluate other tools, such as Community Benefit Agreements to ensure new development contributes to the funding and construction of new infrastructure and services needed to support new development.

10.7 Encourage new development in areas identified as able to serve new residents and businesses.

10.8 Create a formalized and unified system for developing comprehensive forecasts of new development and notifications of land use changes for all utility and service providers to use to plan for future growth.

10.9 Educate City and County departments about the impact of land use decisions on ongoing operating costs when making investment decisions (e.g., for schools, minimum acreage requirements and locating close to neighborhoods to reduce transportation costs).

10.10 Develop programs to require that all costs of utility extension be fairly allocated to the development, to encourage efficient growth that minimizes utility extension costs (e.g. Charlotte Water).

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CASE STUDY: NEIGHBORHOOD OPPORTUNITY FUND IN CHICAGO

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The City of Chicago created a new program through revisions to its Zoning Code in 2016. The program was created with the purpose of leveraging funds generated by new development in the central part of Chicago and redirecting these funds to support commercial corridors in undeserved neighborhoods. Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Fund receives funds from Downtown development density bonus and redirects that money to development projects occurring in targeted areas on the west, southwest and south sides of Chicago for new construction or rehabilitation of commercial projects. Development projects in the downtown area can obtain density bonuses in exchange for voluntary payments into the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. The funds are used to support projects in targeted commercial corridors in the City’s underserved neighborhoods. The program targets investment in commercial businesses with a focus on entrepreneurs of color. The program offers two grant types (small and large) for any projects located in the identify areas that meet the program criteria. The program is an example of communities can leverage investment and density in high growth areas (e.g. Uptown) into benefits to the community elsewhere in the community.

Image source: https://www.trulia.com/n/il/chicago/south-chicago/83074/

10.11 Partner with utility and service providers when developing small area plans to better estimate utility needs and guide land-use decision-making.

10.12 Analyze and plan for infrastructure and utility needs in areas identified as play Place Types (e.g., Regional and Community Activity Centers) or where additional infill and redevelopment will be encouraged.

10.13 Evaluate fiscal impacts of major changes in Future Place Type designations and continue to assess fiscal impacts for all annexations.

10.14 Perform an economic impact analysis prior to the implementation phase of the Plan (see the Implementation Strategy document for more detail).

RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

10.15 Continue to adjust annexation policy to respond to and account for long-term City revenue and service provision impacts.

10.16 Utilize a fiscal analysis tool and the Equitable Growth Framework to help inform decision-making related to large private developments.

10.17 Evaluate development regulations to ensure they encourage infill and redevelopment and adjust regulations to remove barriers or create incentives as needed.

10.18 Develop a revised Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and bond project selection program that implements the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Establish a multi-departmental and agency capital improvements committee to create a framework for tying the comprehensive plan to the CIP process and bond packages. Use this committee approach to evaluate and prioritize CIP projects that:

• Are developed using cross-departmental partnerships and address policy goals of multiple departments.
• Address existing access to opportunities identified within the Equitable Growth Framework analysis.
• Have outside funding through partnerships with public, private, and non-profit entities.
• Support desired Place Type changes identified in the Future Place Type Map and Community Area Plans.

10.19 Create a multi-departmental committee within the City and County that collectively develops growth forecasts and analyzes impacts of new development projects and Place Type changes.

10.20 Upon adoption of the plan, proactively reach out to and provide capacity to support City and County departments impacted by new development by providing information and planning support to help them incorporate Place Types into their planning process.

CHARLOTTE FUTURE 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

04

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

CITY OF CHARLOTTE

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

A structure contained within or separate from the main structure on a single-family or two-family lot that contains separate living quarters, including cooking, sleeping, and bathroom facilities. An ADU can be a separate structure, or attached as in a garage apartment or garden apartment which includes a separate entrance. An ADU may be occupied by extended members of a family (such as a grandparent) or by persons unrelated to the owners or occupants of the main structure on the lot. ADUs can be a relatively inexpensive way to add dwelling units in existing neighborhoods without changing its character.

Adaptive Reuse

The use of existing structures, often historic buildings, for new uses. For example, an early twentieth century bank building in the classical style may be renovated and used as a restaurant, or an old office building may be transformed into a hotel. The reuse of a building is often cheaper and generally more environmentally beneficial than tearing down and building a new building and can have significant aesthetic benefits.

Amenity Zone

A portion of the streetscape, typically between the sidewalk and the street, that includes amenities such as street furniture, signage and wayfinding, landscaping, and street trees. The surface of amenity zone may be paving, grass, or landscaping.

Business Support Programs

Programs that provide financial, educational, and informational resources to businesses located within the City of Charlotte. These programs are provided by the City, Mecklenburg County, the State of North Carolina, the US Federal Government, and non-profit entities. The City provides a variety of programs and funding that support micro, small, new, and expanding businesses within the City. These programs include business expansion/creation grants, access to financing/capital resources, business management education, and workforce connections and training.

Capital Investment Plan (CIP)

The City's long-range investment plan that funds the highest priority capital investments required to maintain the growth and economic vitality of the growing community. The CIP invests in projects that generate the most benefit and impact to the entire community through: creating jobs and growing the tax base; leveraging public and private investments; enhancing public safety; enhancing transportation choices and mobility; ensuring housing diversity; and providing integrated neighborhood improvements. The CIP encompasses investments in roads, neighborhoods, housing diversity, stormwater projects, transit, water and sewer projects, the airport, and government facilities.

Clustered Homes

A style of residential development where homes are grouped together on a development site, typically on smaller lots than allowed in typical single-family development, but with no change in maximum number of units. The clustering results in a larger amount of common undeveloped space that is usually retained as open space and used for recreational purposes.

Community Benefits Agreement (CBA)

A project-specific agreement between a developer and a broad community coalition that details the project's contributions to the community and ensures community support for the project. Addressing a range of community issues, properly structured CBAs are legally binding and directly enforceable by the signatories. In some cases, the community benefits terms from a CBA may be incorporated into an agreement between the local government and the developer, such as a development agreement or lease. That arrangement gives the local government the power to enforce the community benefits terms.

Cottage Cluster

A group of homes, generally one or two stories that are clustered and arranged around a common open space. See also Pocket Neighborhood.

Equitable Growth Framework

Comprehensive Plan Framework for measuring access, environmental justice and equity to help identify areas where residents and businesses may not have access to daily needs, choices for housing, a diversity of employment, or safe and healthy environments.

Equitable TOD

The use of an equity lens in the application of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policies to ensure that individuals at all income levels can participate in the benefits of living near high-performance transit. Key benefits to lower-income households are a reduction in transportation costs and an increase in access to jobs and essential goods and services. E-TOD policies also are designed to minimize potential displacement of lower-income persons who live near major transit investments.

Family Sustaining Wage

A family sustaining wage is a wage provided by a job and sufficient to cover the costs of food, shelter, transportation, health care, and other basic necessities depending on the circumstances (i.e. the number of people in the household, presence of children/dependents, number of working adults). of a household. A family sustaining wage can be achieved through wages alone, but more often is dependent on the employer paid benefits and/or public subsidies available to a household that cover the cost of basic needs.

Foodshed

A geographic area that supplies a population center with food. Within this Plan, Charlotte's foodshed refers more specifically to areas within the City of Charlotte and its Sphere of Influence that produce or have the potential to produce food.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure

The use of measures that allow stormwater to be stored on site and slowly infiltrated into the ground, transpirated by plants, or evaporated into the atmosphere, instead of immediately being transported through pipes, drains, and water treatment systems to water bodies or manufactured flood containment systems. Green stormwater infrastructure includes elements such as rain barrels, rain gardens, bioswales, floodplain restoration, permeable pavement, planting strips, tree lawns, and green roofs.

High Performance Transit

A subset of a transit network that combines a variety of physical, operating and system elements and characteristics to provide a high level of service to transit patrons. These elements and characteristics often include a combination of speed, frequency, operating hours, vehicle design, onboard vehicle amenities, station design, and station amenities. The most typical transit modes in a high performance transit network include commuter rail, light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and streetcar, but traditional bus and other types of shuttles can also be a part of the high performance transit system based on enhanced operating characteristics.

High-Rise Buildings

In the U.S., the National Fire Protection Association defines a high-rise as being higher than 75 feet (23 meters), or about 7 stories. Sometimes used to describe buildings greater than eight stories in height.

Historic Property

A district, site, building, structure or object significant in American history, architecture, engineering, archeology or culture at the national, state, or local level.

Historic Structure

Any structure that is:

1. Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;
2. Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
3. Individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in accordance with state historic preservation programs that have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or
4. Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either by the Secretary of the Interior or by an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior.

Housing First

A homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus ending their homelessness and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, budgeting properly, or attending to substance use issues. Additionally, Housing First is based on the theory that client choice is valuable in housing selection and supportive service participation, and that exercising that choice is likely to make a client more successful in remaining housed and improving their life.

Low Rise Buildings

Tends to describe buildings that are one to two stories in height, but can refer to up to five story buildings depending on context.

Micromobility

A range of small, lightweight vehicles operating at speeds typically below 15 mph and driven by users personally. Micromobility devices include bicycles, e-bikes, electric scooters, and electric skateboards. Micromobility options are often shared and stored in the public realm.

Mid Rise Buildings

Tends to describe buildings that are five to eight stories in height, but can be used to describe three and four story buildings as well, depending on context.

Middle Density (or Missing Middle)

Development that is built at moderate density, including formats such as two-family housing (duplexes), three-family housing (triplexes), four-family housing (fourplexes), two-or-three story apartment buildings (often with street-level retail on the ground floor), and smaller-scale retail and office development that supports walkable neighborhoods. Middle-density development can be less costly to serve with infrastructure such as water and sewer than lower-density single-family development and often is compatible within and on the fringes of lower-density development such as single-family (detached) homes. The increased population density supports the City’s goal to create walkable neighborhoods that provide housing in a variety of formats, size, and prices and support neighborhood-level retail and smaller parks. Middle-density development fills the gap between subdivisions that are largely single-family detached homes, and large multi-story apartment buildings, large retail complexes, or office parks.

Missing Middle Housing

The residential component of middle density neighborhoods. Missing middle housing includes a range of housing types that are missing in most neighborhoods constructed in the last 70 years because they were prohibited by many zoning ordinances and disfavored by the housing development and financing market. Types of housing that qualify as the missing middle include two-family housing (duplexes), three-family housing (triplexes), four-family-housing (fourplexes), townhouses, cottage homes, smaller two- and three-story apartment buildings, and live-work buildings. This type of housing often supports a variety of different sizes and price points. Individual missing-middle housing projects can be appropriate infill development in existing neighborhoods. They can gently increase density in existing neighborhoods served by utilities without impairing neighborhood identity or charm.

Mobility Hub

A defined center for clustered transportation options and amenities, including walking, biking, transit, and micromobility. Mobility hubs are often where transportation routes come together and they provide an integrated set of services, facilities, and supporting technologies. The location of mobility hubs will be defined through the Strategic Mobility Plan and Envision my Ride studies, conducted by the City of Charlotte.

Mode Shift

A change in the percentage of people using a particular way of getting around (walking, biking, taking transit, driving alone, carpooling, etc.) to another way of getting around. Mode shift tends to result when a new option becomes available or more attractive, or when another comparative advantage is created or promoted (less cost, less time, more usable time, etc.).

Multimodal

Refers to various modes of transportation (walking, bicycling, bus transit, rail transit, e-scooters and micromobility devices, shared mobility services, personal automobile, etc.) and emphasizes the importance of providing transportation choices beyond single-occupant vehicles.

Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH)

Market-rate housing that is relatively affordable in a housing market without the need for dedicated housing subsidies. Naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) is generally found in older building stock with fewer amenities. NOAH is often at risk for purchase and redevelopment into renovated or teardown and new construction with additional amenities and a higher price, which leads to displacement of lower-income residents who cannot afford substitute housing in the same neighborhood. Efforts to preserve NOAH can include purchase of older rental apartments by nonprofits or public-private partnerships.

Neighborhood Character Overlay District

A neighborhood character overlay district (NCOD) is a zoning tool used to preserve, revitalize, protect, and enhance significant areas within a community beyond what is specified in the standard code. The conservation overlay regulations are applied in addition to standard zoning regulations and take precedence.

Place-Based Economic Development Organizations

Typically a quasi-governmental or non-profit entity that is tasked with the management of employment districts and areas. These organizations provide economic development services focused on the districts they cover typically focused on maintaining and enhancing the quality of the business environment in the district. The organizations allow the private property and business owners (and even residents) to collectively invest in the curation and management of their community. They also create a partnership with the public sector to guide infrastructure investment, policy creation, and management of urban services. Services and roles these organizations often perform for their area of focus include: business attraction and support, business community outreach and advocacy, enhanced public safety, addressing cleanliness and maintenance of public spaces, management of public financing and capital investments mechanisms, advocacy for policy and infrastructure planning, public space management and activation, promotions and events, and transportation demand management.

Placemaking

Placemaking inspires people to collectively re-imagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution.

Pocket Neighborhood

A set of residences that are clustered around a shared open space such as a courtyard, greenway, or park. A pocket neighborhood can include single-family residences, both detached and attached (townhomes), and smaller apartment buildings. A Cottage Cluster is a type of pocket neighborhood.

Resilient Innovation District (RID)

City-wide approach to implement different technologies and pilot projects to enhance the City's resilience and ability to respond to unexpected shocks and stresses. RIDs are proposed in the City's Strategic Energy Action Plan (SEAP) as innovation districts where novel concepts in buildings, transportation, and energy generation will be tested to develop low-carbon, resilient business models.

Resilient Innovation District (RID) (Continued)

The purpose of RIDs and the demonstration projects are to experiment with programs to support the City’s economy and improve the City’s ability to respond to events such as flooding and economic crises. Implementation of RIDs should address the variety of contexts found in the City and identify appropriate tools based on the areas context and Place Type.

Shared-Use Path

Off-road infrastructure, typically paved, that is designed as part of a transportation network serving persons walking or using micromobility devices such as bikes, e-bikes, wheelchairs, and scooters. A shared-use path may run adjacent to but separated from a street, or operate in a completely separate right-of-way. Shared-use paths serve users who are traveling for recreational, employment, or other purposes. The Little Sugar Creek Greenway and the Rail Trail are examples of shared-use paths.

Small Footprint Housing Unit

A housing unit that is a single-family dwelling that has less than 1,200 square feet of living area, or a single unit in a multi-unit building (duplex, triplex, fourplex, or multifamily building) that has less than 550 square feet of living area.

Traffic Impact Study (TIS)

A study that assesses the adequacy of the existing or future transportation infrastructure to accommodate additional trips generated by a proposed development, redevelopment or land rezoning. These studies vary in their range of detail and complexity depending on the type, size and location of the development. They are important tools in assisting public agencies in making land use and planning decisions.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

The flip side of infrastructure, which focuses on understanding how people make their transportation decisions and helping people use the infrastructure in place for transit, ridesharing, walking, biking, and telework. It is cost-effective in guiding the design of transportation and physical infrastructure so that alternatives to driving are naturally encouraged and systems are better balanced.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

A pattern of higher-density residential, commercial, office, and civic uses with an urban design and high-quality support for walking, bicycling, transit use and other forms of non-vehicular transportation, developed near high-performance transit stations. Transit-oriented development (TOD) is often encouraged using special development regulations around transit stations which require a higher-quality public realm, limited parking, and connections to adjoining neighborhoods. The City’s zoning ordinance was amended in 2019 to include new Transit Oriented Development Districts that are applied to land around stations along the CATS Lynx Blue Line.

Transit Supportive Development

An alternative name for Transit-Oriented Development (see above) that places an emphasis on linking adjacent land uses and activities to a transit station or station area.

Tree Conservation Fund

The Tree Conservation Fund supports the program management needs of the City’s innovative and award-wining Tree Canopy Preservation Program (TCPP). TCPP’s core objectives are to acquire, protect, and manage land for the long-term perpetual conservation of tree canopy within the City of Charlotte. Tree save payment-in-lieu fees, collected during the City’s land development permitting process, are deposited into the fund to support core TCPP objectives per the Charlotte Tree Ordinance.

Underserved Neighborhood

A community in which the residents lack resources or the infrastructure (either public or private) is undeveloped, leading to disparities in the ability to access health care, jobs, recreation, social services, housing, transportation services, food, retail, or other elements of daily life.

Value Capture

Value capture is a type of public financing tool that recovers some or all of the financial value that public infrastructure generates for private landowners in order to offset the costs of the investment itself. The ability to recuperate some of the cost of an investment allows the City to generate additional value and benefits for communities in the future.

Voluntary Agricultural District (VDA)

A program established in North Carolina by the 1985 General Assembly. The program encourages the preservation and protection of farmland and allows landowners to publicly recognize their farms. A VDA establishes an Agricultural Advisory Board in the county where a VDA is created. The program also allows for Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts to protect farms from development for 10 years. Currently, 90 counties in North Carolina have county ordinances for Voluntary Agricultural Districts. 10,441 farms are enrolled in the program that includes 855,976 acres of farms and forests.

Vulnerable Neighborhood

A neighborhood whose existing population is at a higher risk for displacement based on the neighborhood-level factors identified in the Equitable Growth Framework (EQF) methodology. Measures that the EQF methodology identified as contributors to the risk of displacement include a high poverty rate, low educational attainment, higher proportion of non-white residents, and high concentration of residents aged 65 years or older.

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CHARLOTTE FUTURE 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

05

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CITY OF CHARLOTTE

CHARLOTTE FUTURE 2040 DEPARTMENT PROJECT LEADERSHIP

Taiwo Jaiyeoba, Director/Assistant City Manager

Alyson Craig, Deputy Director

Alysia Osborne, Project Manager

Kathy Cornett, Deputy Project Manager

CITY COUNCIL

Vi Alexander Lyles – Mayor

Julie Eiselt – Mayor Pro Tem

Braxton Winston – At Large

Greg Phipps – At Large

Dimple Tansen Ajmera – At Large

Larken Egleston District 1

Malcolm Graham – District 2

Victoria Watlington – District 3

Renee’ Johnson – District 4

Matt Newton – District 5

Tariq Bokhari – District 6

Edmund H. Driggs – District 7

CHARLOTTE CITY MANAGER

Marcus D. Jones

PLANNING COMMISSION

Sam Spencer, Chairperson

Keba Samuel, Vice Chairperson

Phillip Gussman

Astrid Chirinos

John Fryday

John Ham

Cozzie Watkins

Douglas Welton

Erin Barbee

Andrew Blumenthal

Peter Kelly

Elizabeth McMillan

Victoria Nwasike

Courtney Rhodes

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Pat Cotham, At-Large

Leigh Altman, At-Large

Ella B. Scarborough, At-Large

Elaine Powell, District 1

Vilma D. Leake, District 2

George Dunlap, District 3

Mark Jerrell, District 4

Laura Meier, District 5

Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, District 6

MECKLENBURG COUNTY MANAGER

Dena R. Diorio

AMBASSADORS AND STRATEGIC ADVISORS

Tonya Ford Tony Forman Celeste Freeland Cathleen Gallagher John Paul Galles John Gallman Shree (Srividya) Ganesan Denny Gappens Latoya Gardner Daniel Gaspari Melissa Gaston Daryl Gaston Joe Gater Erin Giarda Brooke Gibbons Mark Gibbs Matthew Gilbert Adam Gill Elmos Glay Rudy Glenn Amanda Gonzalez Wilson Goodson Jr. Indhu Gopal Jean Gossett David Graham Kim Graham Sarahbeth Graulich Laura Green Betty Sharpe Gregory Sonja Grier Smith Betsy Griffin Claudia Griffin Melissa Griffin Keith Griffith Dennis Grills Jan Grzegorzewski Quintel Gwinn Sonia Gwyn Thomas Haapapuro Lindsey Haaser Braciale Dale Hanna April Harley Sarah Hart RJ Harvey Tyler O Heaggans John Heffernan Keith Helfrich Charlene Hendricks Silke Henstebeck Jose Hernandez-Paris Rebecca Herron Todd Hill Edward Hills Erick Hodge Dorothy Hodges David Hoffman Pamela Holley Kaleena Holliday Kim Hombs Shannon Homesley Teela Hopkins Jacob Horr Chavis Horton Erin Hostetler Dina Howze Jason Hsieh Patrick Hunter III Chanda Hurms Jarrett Hurms Ashley Huxtable Jay Ibric Gus Inabinet Lynne Ingersoll Johneil Irvin Lucas Ivey Dominique Jackson Gregory H Jackson Gwen Jackson Tonya Jameson Lieke Janssen Solita Jefferies Dequan Jenkins Erica Jenkins Nicholas Jensen Angeline Johnson Betty Johnson Elesha Johnson Jasmine Johnson Katie Johnson Kandra Johnson Miosha Johnson Sharon Johnson Bettie Jones Jarrod Jones Rose Jones-Edwards Maria Juarez Josephine Justin Paul Kardous Franklin Keathley Mary Kelly Chase Kerley Jamall Kinard Marcus C. Kincaid Cynthia King Patsy Kinsey Neeta Kirpalani Alexis Kondratyk Tim Kornegay Juliette Lane James B Lee III Charimain Lewis Steven Edward Lewis Michael A Lindler Ebon M. Lockett Mark Loflin Magbis Love Anthony Lowe Jacob Loyst Kyle Luebke Charlene Mack

Roderick Mallory Wendy Malone Marc Manack Bernice Mar Mattie Marshall Dennis J Marsoun Luis Martinez Witnie Martinez Casey Mashburn Shaun Mason Durrell Mast Joseph Margolis Hans Mayo Rev. Paul A. McAllister Alyssa McCallan Clifford McClain Alicia McConnell Curtis McCurry Robert McElhaney Ryan McGill John McGillicuddy Tracy McGinnis Genevieve McGlory Ashley McGovern Elizabeth McGregor Yvonne McJetters Lesley E McKendrick Dylan McKnight Ernie McLaney Diana V. McLemore Marion McMahon Q. Nicole McNair Melani McNinch Sandra D McPhaul Courtnie Coble McIntosh Ashley McIntyre Walker McLear Chase Metheney Christina Metheney Thomas J Minneman Daniel Melvin Rajan Merchant Ann Miano Carolyn Milleb Keri Miller Mark Miller Dawon Millwood Jennifer Milton Evelyn Minter Vernetta Mitchell Brooklyn Mitchell Niketa Mittal Elyas Mohammed Beth Monaghan Austin Monroe Catherine Monroe Jessica Montana Kia O. Moore Jennifer Moxley Elsie Mufuka Felicia Murrill Cheryl Myers Rob Nanfelt Christie Neal Justin Neal Catherine Neill Quyen Nesbeth Brenda Newberry Tommy Nichols Tim Nicodemus Dominic Nuccitelli Bonita O’Banion Maritza Ortiz Keyona Osborne Sandeep Padhye Joe Padilla Viltis Palubinskas Derrell Pate Tiara Mahoney Paulino Logan Pavkov Jewel Pearson Pedro Perez Heather Pessoa Nicole Peterson Danielle Phillips Jeff Pinnow Vamsi Pola Tina Postel Carl Powell Valerie Preston Blair Primis Mary Propst Heidi Pruess Suzanne Pugh Eugene Rabinovich Pooja Ravindran Beth Reichert Corelutta Reid Jonathan Reid Mark D. Reynolds Fred Rice Demond Richardson James Richardson Vanessa Richmond Briana Rinaldo Greg Roberts Winston Robinson Mercedes Rodriguez Juan Jose Rosario Alicia Morris Rudd Irlanda Ruiz Rob Rusch Lucila Ruvalcaba Reena Ruwala John E Ryan Michael Salamone Richard Saltrick Paula Phillips Sargent Nakia Savage John Schick

Deidre L Scott Tim Scott Bryan W Segers Sybil Serene Kyle Shank Nitin Sharma Eleanor Shell Wallace Shields Janice M Shirley Abdullah Sihlangu Ricky Singh Reggie Singleton Jacqueline B. Sinicrope Melanie Sizemore Ryon Smalls Deanna Smith Sonja Grier Smith Jan Snead Chamekia Spencer India Solomon Edward Spencer Jon Spencer Bill Staton Cedric Steele Luke Stenzel Liz Stevens Chinette Stevenson Ronia Stewart Tamra Stich Kimber Stovesand Elizabeth Linzan Sturgill Salem R. Suber Bala Sure Edrei Swanson Radha Krishna Swayampakala Mark Talbot Frajovon Talley Greg Tanner Starla Tanner Ashley Taylor Ashley P Taylor Susie Taylor Charles Thomas Jessica Thomas Lori Thomas Marcus R. Thomas Laura Thomason Amber Tompakov Ulises Tovar Janelle Travis Elysa Tulek Toni Tupponce Jacob Unterreiner Omar Valera Paul VanGundy Uday Vedre Suvir Venkatesh Amy Villegas-McCleave Bridget W. Linton McLear Walker Cynthia Wallace John Mason Wallace IV Tenika Walker Janaris Washington Darneka Waters Shannon Weatherly Christine Weber LeTisha Wells Douglas Welton Spenser Wempe Veronica Westendorff Grant Whitaker Deleana Whitner Betty F Wicker Franchesca Wicker David Wiggins Nancy B Wiggins Judy Wilkey Jack Williams Shealyn Williamson Alex Wilson Kendall Wilson Lemonde Woodard Robin Woods Zack Wyatt Emily Yaffe Rev. Steven Glennon Yeboah Lewayne A Young Mindy Yow Eric Zaverl Katie Zender

CONSULTANT TEAM

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MIG, Inc.

Jay R. Renkens,
Principal-in-Charge/
Project Manager

Mackinzi Taylor,
Deputy Project Manager

Elly Brophy

Hannah Watson

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Economic and Planning Systems

Matthew Prosser

Rachel Shindman

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Clarion Associates

Leigh Anne King

Geoff Green

Nate Baker

Sung Han

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Nelson\Nygaard

Christopher Forinash

Iain Banks

Brynn Leopold

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City Explained, Inc.

Matt Noonkester

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Urbane Environments

Gwen Jackson

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Pride Public Relations

Nepherterra Estrada Best

Dee Dixon

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Neighboring Concepts

Darrel J. Williams

Eric Orozco

OUR CITY. OUR PLAN. OUR FUTURE.

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