The Naked City

More cities are exploring the use of PILOT programs (Payments In Lieu Of Taxes) as a way to supplement ailing city coffers. The gist is that large non-profits, which are used to paying no property taxes, are being asked to chip in for city services.

A new study shows that while development in the North Carolina mountains increased 568 percent between 1976 and 2006, the population only increased 48 percent. What happened?

Architect Christos Floros of Athens, Greece says that the city is constantly facing "architectural cleansing" as war, rapid population growth, and greed sweep away historic buildings.

At a recent talk, former mayors Manny Diaz and Greg Nickels (of Miami and Seattle, respectively) talked about the frustration mayors face in having to go to the state to receive funding.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief stated in a public meeting that their evidence shows that the gated communities in the area are not statistically any freer of crime than non-gated ones.

We've gotten a lot of responses on our Top 100 Urban Thinkers list, particularly those wanting to separate out the 'bad' from the 'good'. Mary Newsom was inspired by the list to ponder, who was the worst?

Charlotte politicians have been pushing for the completion of a freeway loop around the city -- a $220 million project. Mary Newsom argues that road funding would better serve the city and the region if it were directed to Charlotte's transit system.

A Home Depot Expo in Charlotte, NC, is closing. Mary Newsom explains that the real problem with big boxes like this is that they don't make sense over time.

Mecklenberg County, NC has created a program to encourage kids to walk to school in an attempt to curb obesity, but they're finding that the road to good intentions isn't properly paved.

Mary Newsom, a Knight Fellow and editor for the Charlotte Observer, responds to criticism that New Urbanism is elitist.