The Charlotte Observer

A new budget proposal in North Carolina could pull all funding for a long-planned extension of Charlotte's light rail system.

As more and more people move to cities, they will be the focus of much policy and investment. But the suburbs should not be forgotten, argues Mary Newsom. They should be fixed.

As demographics shift and housing preferences of younger buyers lean away from single-family housing, much of the single-family-home-zoned areas in Charlotte will need to be rethought, according to this editorial.

Mary Newsom reviews a new book on New York City by Roberta Brandez Gratz, and finds lessons that cross borders even into her very different city of Charlotte.

After publishing two articles calling for Charlotte-area drivers to be more considerate of bicyclists, the comments on the online version were so numerous and hateful that the paper closed them down.

Charlotte just won $25 million in grants from the federal government to combine with $12 million of local funds to build a streetcar system. Some say it's a waste of money. This editorial from The Charlotte Observer argues its case.

Charlotte recently won a $25 million federal grant to begin construction on a streetcar system. The Charlotte Observer goes over some of the system's basics.

Plans to expand Charlotte's CATS light rail system to a nearby university could be delayed by a decade or more.

In an effort to give themselves more time to pay for it, transit officials in Charlotte may delay an 11-mile light rail extension for six years.

Mary Newsom at the Charlotte Observer argues that until Charlotte residents stop calling streets 'roads', they will be stuck in a rural mindset and fail to see the broader picture of transportation in their city and county.

In Boston for a conference, Mary Newsom reflects on the lessons that Sun Belt cities can take from historic cities like Cambridge to prepare for the future.

Mecklenburg County commissioners are scheduled to debate whether to add a second half-cent sales tax to fund transit in the Charlotte area.

Two new light rail projects near Charlotte were planned to get built at the same time, but the economic recession is forcing officials to choose one and delay the other.

Residents of Charlotte, NC are pushing the State to change a zoning rule to allow a WalMart to go in on Independence Blvd. Land around the boulevard is being held for a possible freeway, but residents claim the area is stagnating from the strictures.

Lofts and ground floor retail envelop a new Lowe's store in Charlotte, forming a buffer between the large store and the surrounding Dilworth neighborhood.

Charlotte faces a number of challenges in the 21st century, from rising immigration to declining industry to sprawl. This Citistates Report suggests one strategy to harbor a healthy future: go green.

High foreclosure rates are turning Charlotte's new starter home suburbs into bastions of crime and decay.

Charlotte, North Carolina, overwhelmed by turnout for free rides on new light rail line, which exceeded capacity nearly three-fold. Officials now wonder if their ridership estimates have been placed too low.

The effort to repeal Mecklenburg County's half-cent transit tax was defeated by a wide margin at the polls on Tuesday.

An art park is being planned as an anchor for future transit oriented development near one of Charlotte, North Carolina's new light rail stations.