News
An interactive map application allows us to see how cities have changed over time with respect to segregation/integration. Graham MacDonald of The Atlantic compiled maps for 268 Metro areas from the work done by Sophie Litschwartz. The maps show the changes from 1970 to 2010 and take the dissimilarity index created by Litschwartz and apply […]
Our first Neighborhood Campus Forum brought our neighborhood partners together with faculty and students on UNC Charlotte’s main campus. Residents from Reid Park, Enderly Park, and Graham Heights spoke about the issues and research questions that impact their quality of life and sought partners on campus to help them answer these questions. Faculty and students […]
Dr. Joe Kuhns, based in UNC Charlotte’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, has expanded the knowledge surrounding the act of burglary. Dr. Kuhns in collaboration with other researchers around the country interviewed offenders convicted of burglary to better understand the motivations for this crime and what can be employed to deter acts of this […]
Liz Shockey and Tara Bengle presented their research as well as CHARP’s at the recent Planners’ Network conference, Beyond Resilience: Actions for a Just Metropolis. Liz Shockey’s presentation focused on the role place attachment plays in organizing and community-university partnerships while Tara Bengle discussed her work with participatory action research and how this method of […]
Arthur Pryer, a two-year graduate student liaison, has completed and defended his master’s thesis. The thesis focused on comparing the public park facilities enjoyed by Dilworth and Reid Park. The comparisons look at the socioeconomic conditions around the parks as well as comparing the history and quality of the facilities. Congratulations to Artie. His thesis […]
The prevalence of abandoned houses due to the lengthy foreclosure crisis has increased in Charlotte. “Zombie properties” denote a property that an owner has walked away from but the bank or lender has yet to take ownership of it. It is truly a house in limbo. These abandoned properties can attract disrepair, vandalism, and crime. […]
Undergraduates worked tirelessly with the Friends of Miss Bonnie, based in the College Downs neighborhood, to create a brochure and living guide for students living in the College Downs area. The brochure gives students some history and advice on how to navigate living among non-students and long-time residents. The finished product is informative and visually […]
The study in the New York Times looks at how the spatially segregated and physically divided urban landscapes in America are negatively impacting those who earn lower incomes. It is harder for those in lower income brackets to move up the income ladder. The researchers quoted in the article found that mixed-income communities among other […]
This report details the findings and outcomes of a year-long initiative in the suburban neighborhood of Windy Ridge in Charlotte, North Carolina. The project was funded by the Raleigh-based Z. Smith Reynolds (ZSR) Foundation and, as such, a version of this report was also submitted to ZSR after the year of funding had elapsed. The […]
One of CHARP’s newest members, Melissa Currie, wrote a guest essay for Citiwire.net titled “Who, Then, is an American?” The essay discusses how Americans view regionalism and space and how our particular tendencies may inhibit regional cooperation or allow us to take on the new challenges of the 21st century. “Who, Then, Is an American?” […]
The Community Campus Forum was a big success and at CHARP we hope to build on that success. Correspondents from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Lynn Roberson and Kendall Cook) wrote about the event and the story has landed on the front page of the CLAS website. Community Partnership Expands Connections at UNC […]
CHARP invited residents from Reid Park, Greater Enderly Park, and Graham Heights to come together to learn more about the new Affordable Healthcare Act. Resident input was sought on how best to get the word out about signing up for health insurance and where to access resources and assistance with navigating the process. 15 residents […]
A new report finds that 1 in 5 homes bought in the Charlotte MSA went to investors. That is the highest rate in the country behind Atlanta. This trend highlights the changing nature of neighborhoods and the growing amount of people who rent. A question arises of how CHARP and other community-university partnerships can still […]
Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte is nearing $5 million invested in Reid Park at the same time it is reaching its 30th anniversary. It is certainly a time for reflection and for looking at what the future holds for Habitat and for Reid Park. Habitat milestones
In a collaborative effort with Geography and Urban Design master’s student Dylan McKnight, the Reid Park Neighborhood Association has created a new general plan for the creation of a central park as well as other amenties in Reid Park. The plan was presented to Reid Park residents, Parks & Recreation staff, and other dignitaries at […]
At the end of October, the City of Charlotte hosted the first annual Neighborhood Leadership Awards. The Charlotte Action Research Project’s (CHARP) neighborhood partner, the Reid Park Neighborhood Association won the Neighborhood Improvement Award. The award recognizes a neighborhood association that has shown a commitment to enhancing the aesthetics and safety of their neighborhood. CHARP […]
An older story but an interesting one nonetheless where an impoverished and struggling neighborhood has been slated for demolition. Rather than a public housing community, this neighborhood in Champaign, IL called Bristol Place is a neighborhood of private houses. A largely African-American community it had lately suffered from alleged high crime and low property values. […]
Chuck McShane wrote an article about Joe Howarth’s master’s thesis research regarding where grant funds are landing in Charlotte. Although marginalized neighborhoods value the grants, they have been unable to gain access to them at the same rate as more stable neighborhoods. Do city grants go where they are needed most?
The new year brings growing relationships and more opportunties between UNC Charlotte and Charlotte neighborhoods. Students will begin working with Enderly Park and our new neighborhood partner, Washington Heights. For more information about CHARP, please see our backfile of CHARP stories.
The author has an interesting perspective about the city and its complicated history. The article has both hope and misery. People are still fighting for their city as Detroit shrinks. Also, the article is very critical of fly-by-night protests. An article that challenges you to think critically about city planning, neighborhood organizing, and the future […]
Reid Park recently received the Neighborhoods in Creative pARTnership Grant presented by the Arts & Science Council, the City of Charlotte, and the Public Art Commission. The grant enables Reid Park residents the opportunity to create public art that is neighborhood-based, or art that is specific to the neighborhood where the art will be placed. […]
CHARP’s long-term relationship with Reid Park features on the most recent edition of Inside UNC Charlotte. The service learning started by Dr. Janni Sorensen and the community capacity-building of Tara Bengle, Liz Shockey Morrell, and Artie Pryer with Reid Park has culminated in a new park design created by Reid Park residents for their central […]
Tara Bengle and Melissa Currie were nominated for the PEO Scholar Award and were featured in the most recent issue of The Graduate Source. Congratulations to both of them. Spring-2014-Graduate-Source.pdf
The people at University Advancement helped CHARP create a great promo starring our Program Director Dr. Janni Sorensen to spread the word about CHARP. The video link below explains our mission, our action research focus in how we work with neighborhoods, and our ability to offer opportunities for faculty and students to get involved in […]