We are so thrilled to have been able to participate in two events for the 2019 National Night Out initiative, which encourages communities to come together to reduce crime by hosting neighborhood events and keeping their porch lights on later than normal.

My name is Tamara Mrad I’m a rising junior Biology major on the Pre-med track at Davidson, and this summer I worked as a Sustainability Scholar. I was lucky enough to get paired with Sustain Charlotte, where I learned a lot about the effects of transportation on the environment, and its consequences on health more specifically.

My name is Jaire Clarida and I spent this summer interning with Sustain Charlotte through the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation internship program. My internship experience has been an amazing experience this summer! I was able to learn many new things about the non-profit world by being a part of Sustain Charlotte. I learned many new things about sustainability, including the seriousness and impact of making sure that we all value the environment in which we live.

This was one of our favorite blog posts to write, because there's just so much exciting news on transportation and land use to share with you! Plus, there are lots of public input opportunities to add your voice! The City is making progress on its Streets Map, public input for the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and the Unified Development Ordinance. On Monday July 21, Charlotte City Council's Transportation and Planning (TAP) Committee heard updates from staff on each of these topics.  Committee Chair Julie Eiselt led the meeting. Committee members Greg Phipps and Braxton Winston also attended.  You can weigh in on the Streets Map! The main goal of the Streets Map is to "Create streets that support transit-oriented (TOD) neighborhoods". That means the areas adjacent to the LYNX Blue Line light rail stations. Check out the picture below for an example of what a great street could look like. See how there are safe and inviting places to walk, cross the street, ride a bicycle, and ride public transit?  The Streets Map and TOD Standards together will help create great streets in Charlotte. (image: Charlotte Planning)

When I started at Sustain Charlotte in February of 2019, I was living in Huntersville and commuting down to our office in South End. With one infant and two dogs at home, taking the 77-Express bus (while a fantastic option for those in North Mecklenburg County) proved to be too unpredictable and didn't provide me with the flexibility needed to get home to my family in case of emergency.