Christine Edwards

“The Growing Pains of a City”

When reading the collection of essays in Charlotte, NC: The Global Evolution of a New

South City1, the reader becomes intrigued about the rate at which globalization is changing the

small country town of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is important to understand that Charlotte has

seen growth of 28% between 1990 and 2000. As of July 2009, the city has seen a 31%

population increase with an estimated population of now 709,441.2 This growth is matched with

an influx of racial and ethnic diversity. How these factors interact with economic development

contribute to Charlotte’s global economy and its status as a global city. More and more Fortune

500 companies find Charlotte to be an adequate home. With the major local university, UNC

Charlotte, creating more degree programs, Charlotte has become a city with growing intellectual

and financial resources. With all of this change, Charlotte has had little time to adjust and

establish an identity of its own. Will the city maintain its southern charm and will it continue

progressive growth while still honoring the memories of past racial injustices of the south? With

the efforts of city planners matched with the diverse values of city residents, Charlotte was able

to become a stable, dynamic and cultured southern city. In a few short years, it has become a

destination city, not just another dot on the map between Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

Charlotte, with its centralized downtown area and surrounding historical neighborhoods,

can be compared to other urban areas like Atlanta. It changed from a southern mill town to a

town with a creative class of workers coming from banking, distribution, energy, and financial

areas. It is now more common to compare Charlotte to northern cities like Minneapolis,

Minnesota and Columbus, Ohio. The social values of these cities match Charlotte in their

1 Graves, W., & Smith, H. A. (2010). Charlotte, NC: The global evolution of a new South city. Athens: University of Georgia Press. 2 Population information from www.city-data.com

economic culture and demographics. Charlotte is a melting pot of cultural diversity and regional

diversity. Because of the diverse population, some areas of the city have even become pockets

for distinct Latino or Asian cultures. Further, many Charlotte residents migrated from the

Northeast or Midwest parts of the country. Because of this, Charlotte’s values consist of business

interests rather than preserving southern charm or responding diplomatically to inequality.

Charlotte city government and local non-profit leaders are making significant measures to

address the latter issues. The local chapter of the NAACP attempts to keep African American

interests in the forefront. 3 Local housing policies attempt to disperse low-income housing among

different areas of the city to make available better resources to a greater number of people.

Like bigger urban regions, the apprehension for Charlotte leaders is that growth can lead

to disparity. What will keep Charlotte from gentrification and a disenfranchised gap of citizens

much like in Chicago or New York? The title of this analysis, Growing Pains, implies the

difficulties that come along with city growth. Disparity and cultural segregation can be results of

city growth. Gentrification is a feature of urban areas but should not be the end to a means.

Although Charlotte planners have displaced residents of revitalized neighborhoods in the past,

they are actively redeveloping older neighborhoods to keep the traditional style of living while

making the areas a bit more modern4. These planners’ efforts depict the difficulty in balancing

the values of economic growth and traditional neighborhoods. Despite value conflicts of public

interests vs. business interests, economic investments bring more jobs to Mecklenburg County.

More recreation and entertainment attractions not only make the city a nice place to visit but also

a nice place to live. Most recently, the decision to have Charlotte host the Democratic National

Convention in 2012, is a boost to the city’s confidence. This convention will impact Charlotte

3 Local newspaper article http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/01/17/1989045/local-naacp-urges-boycott-of-charlotte.html# 4 information about current projects can be found on the planning department website on www.charmeck.org

politically, economically and culturally in a positive way. The values associated with this

convention, job creation, equal education, health care reform, and sustainable energy will bring

residents together to affect change. This matched with impeccable leadership strategies will

allow charlotte to continue to grow in this very unique way.