Is the Triangle in danger of Atlantafication? (Charlotte, Raleigh: 2014, daycare)

[radmod]

The Triangle is really no different from many other growing cities, and it's going to get more congested and have worse traffic issues over time. The growth is simply more than our road construction can handle.

The problem isn't transit, road construction, rural-urban divides, multiple cities and jurisdictions, or sprawl. The problem is zoning--that is, the type of development we allow. Sprawl would actually be a net positive IF we allowed and encouraged communities that mixed businesses, homes, and retail. The Triangle, like nearly every other place in the U.S., makes it literally illegal to build walkable communities mixing residential homes, offices, grocery stores, etc. The mixed-use developments we hear about are just a drop in the bucket compared to all the massive clear-cut, residential-only neighborhoods that we're building.

Even if your neighborhood is across the street from a shopping center, it's often either impossible or very dangerous to walk to it, never mind to actually shop and take home anything you buy.

Until we fix zoning to allow for a better mix of these things everywhere, traffic will continue to get worse. We live in a car culture, and everything is built around that.

[dariusxiv]

Originally Posted by radmod

Until we fix zoning to allow for a better mix of these things everywhere, traffic will continue to get worse. We live in a car culture, and everything is built around that.

Why do you think there is such resistance to mixed use zoning?

(Excellent analysis and explanation, by the way.)

[Edward Teach]

Originally Posted by radmod

The Triangle is really no different from many other growing cities, and it's going to get more congested and have worse traffic issues over time. The growth is simply more than our road construction can handle.

The problem isn't transit, road construction, rural-urban divides, multiple cities and jurisdictions, or sprawl. The problem is zoning--that is, the type of development we allow. Sprawl would actually be a net positive IF we allowed and encouraged communities that mixed businesses, homes, and retail. The Triangle, like nearly every other place in the U.S., makes it literally illegal to build walkable communities mixing residential homes, offices, grocery stores, etc. The mixed-use developments we hear about are just a drop in the bucket compared to all the massive clear-cut, residential-only neighborhoods that we're building.

Not true. Raleigh allows mixed use development (see North Hills). Its right there in the Unified Development Ordinance:

https://library.municode.com/nc/rale...leigh-MixedUse

[Tarheelhombre]

The problem with the Triangle is that it’s biggest blessing is also it’s biggest curse. It’s diffuse suburban employment centers and multi-city footprint make it hard to have desirable density, urban vitality, and mass rail. The area managed well with this dichotomy in the past, but I think it will become a larger detriment in the future.

[architect77]

Originally Posted by TarHeelNick

If that would entail having a phase of the level of insecurity and superiority/inferiority complex that lots of Charlotte folks (especially here on C-D) have....I'd hope we skip right to Atlanta level.

SO TRUE! and when I referred to the Triangle as the "brainy nucleus" of NC and Charlotte could be the Tall City for NC...

Every cheerleader for Charlotte got up in arms and said I was fantasizing things about Raleigh and that Charlotte was just as smart, etc...

They demonstrated that they knew nothing about the Triangle having one of the most highly-educated workforces and populations in the country.

They didn't know about the high number of PhDs in the Triangle, almost the most per capita in the nation.

So it reiterates how little they know about the rest of the state, because they mistakenly believe that Charlotte is the only island of sophistication and the rest of NC is too beneath them to travel through and learn about.

I was like, "That's Raleigh-Durham's main selling point, the educated worksforce!" (and the universities proximity).

[TarHeelNick]

Originally Posted by architect77

SO TRUE! and when I referred to the Triangle as the "brainy nucleus" of NC and Charlotte could be the Tall City for NC...

Every cheerleader for Charlotte got up in arms and said I was fantasizing things about Raleigh and that Charlotte was just as smart, etc...

They demonstrated that they knew nothing about the Triangle having one of the most highly-educated workforces and populations in the country.

They didn't know about the high number of PhDs in the Triangle, almost the most per capita in the nation.

So it reiterates how little they know about the rest of the state, because they mistakenly believe that Charlotte is the only island of sophistication and the rest of NC is too beneath them to travel through and learn about.

I was like, "That's Raleigh-Durham's main selling point, the educated worksforce!" (and the universities proximity).

I had a lot of friends/acquaintances in college who were from "The State of Mecklenburg" and it was always tongue-in-cheek how that complex existed among them and we could all laugh about it.

Seeing it play out via key-board warriors/cheerleaders here on C-D is mildly entertaining but at the same time a little unsettling.

Shame too because Charlotte really is an awesome city!

[Repatriot]

Originally Posted by TarHeelNick

Shame too because Charlotte really is an awesome city!

What do you like about it?

We went twice to suss it out for a potential job offer, but didn't quite get a good enough read on it to feel we'd like it better than here. It was not long enough to get a fair sample and we probably didn't go to the right places.

[TarHeelNick]

Originally Posted by Repatriot

What do you like about it?

We went twice to suss it out for a potential job offer, but didn't quite get a good enough read on it to feel we'd like it better than here. It was not long enough to get a fair sample and we probably didn't go to the right places.

I really like the Uptown area and that a decent chunk of the city was built-up pre WWII so it has that somewhat larger feel to it (not nearly as "several leagues ahead" of the Triangle as the C-D Charlotte booster-club often dwells but I digress). I also really like that Lake Norman is more developed and has more recreation options AND homes/development on it. Whitewater center is also pretty awesome (most of my trips to CLT have been centered around a day at WWC)

Incidentally I also mulled over the idea of moving down there when I was offered a great job back in summer 2017. The timing just wasn't right though and yeah; CLT was a cool place to visit but I prefer the Triangle overall as a place to live and it's more "home".

It is a PAIN to get to uptown from most of the Charlotte area and once you are outside of that core; the differences between the two are pretty much moot.

Again; Charlotte is a great city and I enjoy spending time there (will be there next weekend actually). But, no matter how much they want it not to be the case...Charlotte and the Triangle are very much in the same "league" with each other than either is with Atlanta.

[Charlotte485]

Originally Posted by architect77

SO TRUE! and when I referred to the Triangle as the "brainy nucleus" of NC and Charlotte could be the Tall City for NC...

Every cheerleader for Charlotte got up in arms and said I was fantasizing things about Raleigh and that Charlotte was just as smart, etc...

They demonstrated that they knew nothing about the Triangle having one of the most highly-educated workforces and populations in the country.

They didn't know about the high number of PhDs in the Triangle, almost the most per capita in the nation.

So it reiterates how little they know about the rest of the state, because they mistakenly believe that Charlotte is the only island of sophistication and the rest of NC is too beneath them to travel through and learn about.

I was like, "That's Raleigh-Durham's main selling point, the educated worksforce!" (and the universities proximity).

I Said how little people outside of the Triangle knew much about it being as highly educated as those in the triangle believe it to be and that the research park might as well be in Charlotte for all people from outside of NC know unless you showed them some statistics on a paper. You’re just over the top with the importance and significance of Raleigh. That doesn’t make one a Charlotte booster. It’s just a person thinking your perception is silly.

[Heel82]

People know the Research Triangle Park is not in Charlotte. And people know the Triangle is fairly well-regarded intellectually. Duke and Carolina aren’t exactly unknown schools.