Photo: West End neighborhood of Charlotte viewed from Johnson C. Smith University. Courtesy Charlotte City Center Partners. I’ve lived in Charlotte pretty much since 1971, and to say that it has changed over the last 40 years would be an understatement. A lovely Southern town has become a significant New South city with all of the accompanying challenges. I’ve […]
Article · December 15, 2015 by Susan Patterson
Photo: Author Susan Patterson touring Charlotte on her bike. I love it when a plan comes together, and a good plan is shaping up to make Charlotte a more bike-friendly city. It isn’t that nothing had been happening in our city. Over the last few years, much has. Related Link “New cycling fund to build […]
Article · March 4, 2015 by Susan Patterson
This week, Knight Foundation is celebrating the arts in Charlotte. I’m excited to join Dennis Scholl, Knight’s vice president for arts, in recognizing those organizations – large and small – receiving a combined $1 million in Knight funding as they continue to make Charlotte such a great place to live, work and play. With Patricia […]
Article · January 9, 2015 by Susan Patterson
Photo by Flickr user Tyler LaCross. What does Charlotte need to become a more bike-friendly city? Events to let people experience the joy of cycling; A clearinghouse for easy, safe routes; Better signage identifying bike routes; More bike safety information included in driver’s license testing; A central cycling hub where bike commuters can grab a […]
Article · November 21, 2014 by Susan Patterson
Deborah Triplett hangs her own yard art, a “clothesline” tribute to her mother and grandmother, entitled “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone.” Photo courtesy Deborah Triplett. Charlotte is a wonderful place to live, thanks to many things and many people. I’m putting the spotlight here on three women whose ideas are making our […]
Article · September 18, 2014 by Susan Patterson
A cyclist rides through a bike-friendly intersection in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo by Flickr user Justin Swan. In August, 34 officials and community leaders from nine Knight communities traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmo, Sweden, to study how to make their cities more livable. The trip was organized by 8-80 Cities and sponsored by Knight Foundation. […]
Article · September 9, 2014 by Susan Patterson
Photo: Charlotte skyline as seen from Romare Bearden Park on S. Church Street. Credit: James Willamor on Flickr. “Thanks for inviting me to explore a big idea,” said one Charlotte participant, as she left our “city sounding” session with the Municipal Art Society of New York recently. Knight Foundation is supporting a yearlong exploration about […]
Article · July 28, 2014 by Susan Patterson
A crowd gathered at Sixth and Tryon for the arrival of the new Buddy Bear statue in front of the main Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library. Photo: Brad Thomas Now that two of Charlotte’s major festivals in the Uptown area have come and gone, many may think the entertainment’s over. But, that’s not the case for the […]
Article · June 26, 2014 by Susan Patterson
Photo credit: Ellen Xie/New York Restoration Project. The New York Restoration Project is about to embark on an exciting project, and Charlotte will learn along with them. The timing couldn’t be better. Charlotte is developing its Capital Improvement Plan with a focus on coordinated work in targeted neighborhoods. In June, New York Restoration Project will launch […]
Article · May 22, 2014 by Susan Patterson
The Human Scale official trailer via YouTube In the months ahead, people who live, work and play in Uptown Charlotte will have a chance to imagine what North Tryon Street could become. Tryon Street – in the museum mile stretching from the cultural campus at the south end to the McColl Center for Visual Art […]
Article · April 16, 2014 by Susan Patterson
Above: A class at the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. Photo credit: Knight Foundation on Flickr. The James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte is unlike the nation’s other 500 journalism and mass communications programs: We have taken on the role of helping raise the digital […]
Article · March 21, 2014 by Susan Patterson