The document outlines the planning strategies for Charlotte's future growth, emphasizing land use planning that guides development types, including residential, commercial, and industrial segments. It highlights the significant population increase and diversity trends from 1980 to 2012, along with strategies for accommodating future growth while promoting environmental sustainability. The presentation includes group activities focused on evaluating development locations and urban planning exercises to address anticipated growth impacts.

1. Planning for Charlotte’s Future
Providence Day School
January 11, 2013

2. Presentation Overview
 Land Use Planning
 Growth Trends
 Growth Framework
 Group Activity
 Outcomes

3. Planning Department
 Work with the community in
planning for Charlotte’s future
growth and development
 Land Use/Policy Guidance
 Rezoning Ordinance &
Administration
 Subdivision Ordinance
 Historic Districts Regulations
 Annexation
 Coordination of Transportation
Planning
 Research
 Urban Design Review
 Coordination of Capital Planning

4. Land Use Planning
What is Land Use Planning?
 Tool to manage how and where we grow in
the community
 Guide for what types of development go
where (ie. commercial, residential, industrial)
to best meet people’s needs over time
Types of Land Uses
 Residential – single
family, duplexes, apartments, town
homes, condos
 Office – dentist, insurance, tax preparers
 Retail – stores, banks, restaurants
 Institutional – churches, schools, hospitals
 Industrial – warehouses, distribution center

5. Land Use Planning

6. Land Use Planning

7. Land Use Planning
Some things to think about:
 Land use plans provide guidance – they are not law
 Some of the implementation tools, however, are law
such as:
 Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances
 Tree Ordinance, Stormwater and Erosion Control
Ordinances
 Private sector, not the government, does most of the
development/building – happens incrementally, over a long
time
 Market (you and me) also plays a big part of what, when
and where development occurs - land use plans and
regulations can influence market

8. Growth Trends
How many people live in Charlotte?
Hints:
 New York, NY - 8,391,881
 San Francisco, CA - 815,358
2012
 Boston, MA - 645,169
 Denver, CO - 610,345
743,000
 Raleigh , NC- 405,197
 Columbia, SC – 129,539
 Rock Hill, SC - 69,213

9. Growth Trends
 Charlotte’s population more than doubled
in 30 years
731,000
540,000
396,000
315,000 2012
743,000
1980 1990 2000 2010
 Population is more diverse and older
 Hispanic population increased from 7.4% in 2000
to 13.1% in 2010
 Median age increased from 32.7 in 2000 to 33.2
years in 2010

10. Developed Land 1976
Charlotte

11. Developed Land 1985
Charlotte

12. Developed Land 1996
Charlotte

13. Developed Land 2006
Charlotte

14. Growth Trends
Mecklenburg County
1976 1976: 12.5% Developed
2006
Mecklenburg County
2006: ???% Developed
57.6% Developed

15. Growth Trends
TODAY (2012)
 743,000 people
 618,000 jobs
TOMORROW (2035)
 +309,000 more people; and
 +298,000 more jobs
Where will these people and jobs go?

16. Growth Framework
Centers, Corridors and Wedges
 Long-term growth strategy
 Five primary transportation
and development corridors
 Focus growth in Activity
Centers and Growth
Corridors
 Maximize use of
transportation
system, infrastructure &
services
 Encourage redevelopment &

17. Growth Framework
Rapid Transit Planning
Light Rail Transit
 Bus Rapid Transit (Curitiba)
 Streetcar/Trolley
 Commuter Rail

18. Environmental Sustainability
 Use land efficiently – compact development, shared facilities, infill
& redevelopment
 Balance & integrate land uses – range of
housing, employment, service, leisure & educational opportunities;
mix of uses
 Connect uses & provide transportation choices –
sidewalks, bikeways, transit, connectivity
 Provide infrastructure to support development –
schools, sewer, water, fire, police, transportation, libraries
 Respect the natural and social environment –
trees, streams, wetlands, floodplains, habitats, green space, historic
properties, neighborhoods
 Design for quality – details, site layout
 Plan for the long term – quality, function, change, re-use

19. Group Activity #1: Photo Game

20. Group Activity
The Good, The Bad and The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?
• Examples of locations: Activity
Center, Wedge, Corridor, On a Major Highway, along a
greenway, near a school, . . .

21. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

22. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

23. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

24. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

25. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. What’s improved?

26. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

27. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the
most appropriate
location for it? Why?

28. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

29. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. What’s improved?

30. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

31. The Good, The Bad and
The Right Location
1. What’s good about it?
2. What’s not so good?
3. Where would be the most appropriate location for it? Why?

32. Group Activity #2: Map Exercise

33. Group Activity (15 mins)
 You are an urban
planner, planning for the future
of 2 sites in Charlotte
 Your job is to help accommodate
some of the growth that is
coming, but also to mitigate the
negative impacts that can come
along with this growth
 Here are the 2 sites you will be
planning for:

34. Group Activity (15 mins)
Site 2
Site 1

35. Group Activity (15 mins)
Site #1 Site #2
 512 mostly vacant acres near the  47 acres that was previously
Interchange of I-485 & Providence developed, but has now been cleared
Road
 Within the South Growth Corridor
 Partly in a Mixed-Use Activity Center along the Lynx light rail line, about ¾
 Several creeks, some steep topography miles from the Sharon Road Station
and a lot of trees  Branch of one creek, mostly flat and
 Surrounding area is mostly developed few trees
with single family homes and a golf  Surrounding area is mostly developed
course across the road with industrial and office type uses;
residential nearby

36. Group Activity (15 mins)
 Break up into groups & get some icons & a map sheet
 Work with your group to place the icons where you think
that type of development should go. Be sure to use as
many of the icons as possible. Remember, we have a lot
of growth to accommodate somewhere!
• Institutional - schools, daycares, places of
worship, post offices, libraries, jails
• Parks/Open Space
• Employment – Industries, Warehouses, Offices, Business Parks
• Retail – mall, drug store, grocery, shopping center
• Residential – single-family, apartments, townhomes, high/mid-rise
apartments
 It’s ok to write or draw on the maps
 Be ready to tell us why you placed the icons in a
particular location

37. Outcomes
Conventional development patterns

38. Outcomes: Streetscape & Land Use

39. Outcomes: Streetscape & Land Use

40. Outcomes: Streetscape & Land Use

41. Outcomes: Streetscape & Land Use

42. Planning for Charlotte’s Future
www.charlotteplanning.org