CHARP Projects and Partners

CHARP conducts action research projects in collaboration with community partners in Charlotte. Since 2011 it has engaged in several projects addressing community needs in neighborhoods and developing projects with organizational partners.

Current Projects

Identifying Community-Centered Infrastructure and Programming Needs in Charlotte 

This work, conducted via a partnership between UNC Charlotte and the City of Charlotte’s Department of Planning, Design, and Development, aims to: (1) Share specific safety and infrastructure concerns experienced on a daily basis by residents in underinvested communities; (2) Identify community-driven interventions to help mitigate transportation and accessibility challenges identified by residents of three historically underinvested Charlotte communities. Read more here.

Mapping Urban Heat in Charlotte

The Charlotte Heat Mappers are a coalition of community organizations, nonprofits, and government entities in Charlotte, NC. Led by researchers in UNC Charlotte’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences, our aim is to better understand the varying effects of urban heat across our city and to work with local partners to lessen the impacts of urban heat on community health and wellbeing. Read more here.

Achieving 10-minute Neighborhoods in Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity

Charlotte’s Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan envisions the creation of “10-minute neighborhoods” in which residents have access to daily destinations like grocery stores, clinics, parks, daycare, and living-wage jobs within a short walk, bicycle, or transit trip of their homes. Although being able to easily reach these kinds of essential resources is necessary for social and economic mobility, not all communities have equal access. We spoke with residents in two of Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity – West Sugar Creek and Central/Albemarle – to learn more about their transportation experiences and the challenges they face in accessing needed resources. Read more here.

State of the Plate

Faculty and students at UNC Charlotte have partnered with Charlotte organizations, local government, and community leaders (including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, American Heart Association, Mecklenburg County Public Health, Nourish Up, and others) to complete systematic assessments of the state of our regional food system. The State of the Plate assessment happens approximately every 5 years, and is a chance to take stock of the local food system. Through several phases, the 2019-2024 State of the Plate research assessed current needs and opportunities that exist within the food system, how COVID-19 and other events have changed our food system, and how they might shape it in the future towards equity and sustainability. This work was supported, in part, by a Gambrell Faculty Fellowship awarded to Dr. Colleen Hammelman and Dr. Nicole Peterson. All report findings and next steps are available here.

Tenant Experiences in Corporate Landlord Housing

Last Spring 2023, students from the Qualitative Methods in Geography course, taught by Dr. Michelle Zuñiga, partnered with Jessica Moreno from Action NC to conduct a community-engaged project focused on understanding tenant’s experiences living in corporate landlord housing in Charlotte, NC. One of the major outcomes of the class was a report highlighting the themes that emerged from 30 interviews with tenants and participant observations including canvassing neighborhoods and attending county commissioner meetings. Read more here.

Community Needs Assessment

In partnership with the Harris YMCA, CHARP students and faculty are conducting a community needs assessment to support the Harris YMCA’s South Boulevard Initiative programming. Through surveys and focus groups, this work seeks to ensure that programming meets existing needs for residents along the South Blvd corridor and identifies new gaps that need to be addressed.

Tackling Food Insecurity in West Charlotte

A collaboration between community organizations and leaders in West Charlotte and faculty at UNC Charlotte and JCSU is leveraging research and long-time community expertise to tackle food insecurity in West Charlotte. This collaborative is developing a full-service food cooperative with community programming and gathering space as a sustainable, equitable, and economically viable food retail solution for a neighborhood experiencing years of systemic disinvestment. Read more here.