Democrats were astute in picking Charlotte as the site for their 2012 national convention. And the international spotlight will hopefully help the city solve some of its problems.
That appeared to be the consensus Tuesday when a panel of professors gathered at UNC Charlotte for a discussion of "Charlotte, the New South and the Democratic National Convention."
Here's some of what they said:
- Charlotte, a New South city that's gone global, "is in the vanguard of contemporary urban transformation," said Heather Smith, an associate professor of geography at UNCC. "Its unconventional melding of South and global, past and present, makes it an ideal convention city."
- In the last 30 years, Charlotte has gone from "a middle-sized Southern city" -- the country's 47th largest -- to a diverse, rapidly growing city that is now the 17th biggest and "representative of the United States in the 21st century," said Owen Furuseth, associate professor of metropolitan studies at UNCC. "This is where America is headed. Charlotte is America in the 21st century. And the (Democrats) wanted to be in this place, to be represented by this city."
- Citing U.S. Census figures, Furuseth charted Charlotte's transformation from a city that was two-thirds white and one-third black in 1980 to a city in 2011 that's less than 50 percent white, 34 percent black and -- the biggest change -- almost 20 percent immigrants from Latin America and Asia. Those changing demographics, Furuseth said, mean "a whole new calculus of what we are as a community and impacts politics, schools and growth and development."
- But beyond the city's glitzy skyline and rapid growth, the city has some problems. Among them: Its "traditional growth machine" -- banks -- is sputtering, said Bill Graves, an associate professor of geography at UNCC. With the big decline in all jobs -- from 857,000 in October 2007 to 760,000 in July 2011 -- the city needs "post-corporate" growth, he said, that is more creative, more entrepreneurial and more collaborative. The goal, Graves said, is to "leverage the visibility" of the upcoming Democratic National Convention to give Charlotte "global destination-city status" and bring skilled job-creators to town.
- Other problems could get some more attention as Charlotte tries to present a positive picture for the world. The city's schools -- once a national model of integration -- are almost as segregated as they were before busing came to CMS in the 1970s, said Stephen Smith, a professor of political science at Winthrop University. And Charlotte's suburbs "are not very wonderful," said David Walters, director of UNCC's Urban Design program. "They don't make it on postcards." His hope is that Charlotte will look to cities that have been smarter in developing transit, and push ahead with light rail and streetcars.
The panelists contributed to the book, "Charlotte, NC: The Global Evolution of a New South City."
Tim Funk
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24 comments:
So, rambling thoughts of a bunch of professors...they teach a couple of hours a day what someone else has researched and written for them. Beyond that their expertise pretty much ends. If you want to know what is happening in society, go down to the corner store and talk to the people who make things happen, not a bunch who live off the taxpayers in a make believe world.
Whew Smith, are you disconnected from the reality of the social fabric of how Charlotte has changed from the 70's to now. Most importantly, the dependent class has gained control of all governments. The schools can not, it is a mathematically impossiblity, come any where close to the CMS of the 70's and 80's. Additionally we all know, well at least those of us who are willing to look at the facts, that CMS was not addressing educating the inner city population not matter what rose colored glasses you are looking through.
Get rid and the rednecks and racist newcomers, and Charlotte would be a real decent place to live...
The big question: Are we better off now than 30 years ago? Will we continue the decline or can we turn it back around?
OBAMA IS A WAR MONGER! IMPEACH OBAMA!
Rant on, Doofus. Obama isn't going to be impeached in your meaningless lifetime.
therestofthestory: "..the dependent class has gained control of all governments"
Yes, you are right -- the banks have tightened their control over government like never before! Just like the textile mills and merchants did before they lost their power.
Looks like, from the tone of the few on-topic comments, that Charlotte is going to have a problem adjusting to being a pluralistic city, like many of its counterparts in the U.S.
Well the nice thing is that we all work together and with our media being so honest and not agenda driven, we are free to enjoy our low crime, good taxes, great schools and are not like those Cities focused on the pleasure zones and toys just in their downtown areas.
Can you imagine how much trouble we would be in if we were such a vapid City?
Why is the source for opinions on how a city should develop and grow always professors of "political science" and "geography" that have never had their hands on the decision-making process for development?
•Citing U.S. Census figures, Furuseth charted Charlotte's transformation from a city that was two-thirds white and one-third black in 1980 to a city in 2011 that's less than 50 percent white, 34 percent black and -- the biggest change -- almost 20 percent immigrants from Latin America and Asia. Those changing demographics, Furuseth said, mean "a whole new calculus of what we are as a community and impacts politics, schools and growth and development".
Ok sooo..Charlotte is less than 50% White and the "wonderful schools" you speak of are only 32.8% White...
Mayor Fixxit and Councilman Cannon send their children to private schools....
These "professors" are delusional and devoid of reality.
The suburbs are trash.
Detroit is here!
I'll take the suburbs over your New York wannabe city any day of the week. If this is the future of America (and it is), then behold the beginnings of the destruction of America.
Doesn't it make sense that Charlotte demographics have changed after once being a thriving world class financial center, the major players have moved out taking most of their employees with them. What is the present government doing to change that? How about asking the taxpayers who live here, what they think of life in Charlotte. Sounds like Washington!! Listening to a bunch of professors, living above the fray, making comments on things they know nothing about.
Charlotte is a great place to work, but a horrible place to live. Anyone with half a brain takes advantage of the benefits of doing business in Charlotte, but lives outside of Mecklenburg Co.
http://biggovernment.com/abreitbart/2011/10/03/shock-photos-barack-obama-with-new-black-panther-party-on-campaign-trail-in-2007/
Get rid and the rednecks and racist newcomers, and Charlotte would be a real decent place to live...
That would be you, right?
unfortunately the city's social and cultural values are not in the 21st century and well behind instead of ahead of most major American cities. It has institutionalized discrimination against the GLBT population, and its own government still has no antidiscrimination policy covering that large segment. In this regard, the city is almost 19th century.
If you have ever traveled outside the USA the whole world considers America as a redneck nation regardless of where you live. Its the red white and blue that the flag symbolizes.
Face it. America is a redneck nation and always has been since its inception and the native reds already here were all redneck rejects from Asia crossing the Bering Strait land bridge to get here.
The USA was populated by redneck rejects from Europe and the rednecks from south of the border keep coming. No royalty came here. Even the slaves were redneck rejects sold off by tribal chiefs. They were all redneck. Every damn one of the 310 million Americans as the RED WHITE & BLUE human rejects of the planet are redneck.
Get over it, rednecks.
America is and always has been the human redneck garbage dump of the world. Nothing has changed and never will.
8:07, at first when I read you comments, I thought maybe you had forgotten your meds this morning, or they had not kicked in , or you had not had your first cup of coffee. But as I think about it more, you are right. We have been a country, except for the Native Americans, inhabited by those "rejects" from other countries, or driven out by hte oppresive political or religious powers, or destined as a penal colony.
I guess my only question to you is your definition of redneck versus using the word reject.
all you folks who are busy bashing professors should keep in mind that the current unemployment rate for college grads is half that of folks who lack a degree.
Yes 8:07 We have traveled a lot and the nicest part is getting back.
I am sure if you have traveled you have seen that is true.
So not sure why you are so loathing of people here, maybe you are just not willing to do the work it takes to make it?
Or most likely it is just cosmic forces aligning against your every move as it does with so many people.
So 8:07...when are you leaving this reject, redneck country you so despise?
"except for the Native Americans"
Lets clear this ignorance for the uneducated ones.
"Indians" are NOT and have never have been "native" Americans. Go back to school for a better education. The western hemisphere was populated with Asians of the red yellow mongoloid race long classified by archeologists.
"Indians" all came from Asia. They are not indiginous to the western hemisphere. They were here before the white Latino Hispanic Europeans got here after 1492 but it was NOT named America yet.
America was only named "America" in 1512 after Italian European Americus Vespucia. Before the white Europeans arrived in the western hemisphere in 1492 it had no name whatsoever and was populated in many tribes by Asian migrants spread all over the hemisphere named eskimos indians aztecs myans amazons tainos etc. all from Asian originally.
Thus using correct logic the Europeans of the white caucasoid race are the original "native" Americans and NOT the Asian migrants already here.
They came conquered and civilized the western hemisphere and named it all America as the real native Americans.
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