Our Monthly Mixer with Green Drinks Charlotte and special guest TransitCenter is coming up on Wednesday, October 12! 

Join us from 6-7:30pm at Free Range Brewing! At 6:30, our program will begin and you'll hear from Sustain Charlotte's special guest Jon Orcutt, Director of Communications and Advocacy at TransitCenter.

Jon will share stories of how cities across the nation -- including Charlotte -- are re-inventing themselves through transit. You'll learn why advocacy matters and just how important your voice is!  

There are no membership requirements and everyone is warmly welcomed.

Envisioning, installing, and opening the computer lab was truly a partnership!

Sustain Charlotte Community Corps volunteers and Grier Heights residents recently celebrated a major achievement!

In July, we told you about the work that our Community Corps volunteers have done to help the Grier Heights neighborhood open its first computer lab. Read more about the effort here. This incredible partnership between our volunteers, the Grier Heights Community Improvement Organization, Crossroads Corporation, and Skanska led to a community celebration on Labor Day as we helped the neighborhood cut the ribbon on the new lab!

Read more about the success of this exciting project here!

Curious about bike commuting? Take easy street to get there by bike!

Getting somewhere by bike doesn’t have to be hard to do. No, seriously! With a little planning and a little extra trip time you can do it, too. We talk with regular bike commuters and folks who get around on two wheels and ask their best advice for making it happen!

Click here to read some great tips from Charlotte bike commuters!

Biketoberfest is BACK on October 15th!

It’s the two-wheeled day of fun, discovery, prizes, and community that last year’s participants called a “game changer” and a “must do!” You wouldn’t want to miss out on that, would you?! Of course not! Get your tickets online now and get in on Biketoberfest for just $10 (or $25 for an awesome t-shirt)!

This event is for all ages and abilities. Kids are free (who register with an adult)! Click here for event details.

Crown Town Compost and Happenstance will be supporting Biketoberfest as Silver Sponsors! We're proud to have their support of this event and our community! 

Local residents like you play a critical role in ensuring we have the resources to carry out our work in the community to inspire choices that lead to a healthier and more vibrant community for generations to come! Click below to be the change and become a sustaining member today!

*Membership at the $5/month level includes a free Sustain Charlotte T-shirt (made of 100% recycled material by our Gold Partner Recover)!*

We need LOTS of volunteers for Biketoberfest! Click here sign up to be a part of this exciting community event!

Volunteers will mostly be stationed either at Triple C Brewing or assorted destinations throughout South End and Center City doing assorted tasks like stamping passports for participants, checking people in at the registration table, distributing t-shirts, helping with the raffle, and more.

When:
Saturday October 15, three available shifts between 8am and 9pm. 

Where:
Triple C Brewing, 2900 Griffith St, Charlotte, NC 28203 or sponsoring businesses.

All volunteers will receive a complimentary ticket to bring a guest to the event!

Participate in the Parkwood Avenue & The Plaza Corridor Study!

The City of Charlotte invites YOU to participate in a two-day public workshop on October 4 and 5, 2016 as part of the Parkwood Avenue & The Plaza Corridor Study. The study is to evaluate conditions for pedestrian, bicyclists and motorists and identify potential options along these corridors. The study boundaries are North Brevard Street to Matheson Avenue.

Where: 
Belmont Regional Center, 700 Parkwood Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

When: 
Tuesday, October 4, workshop kick-off, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 5, workshop wrap-up, results & preliminary recommendations, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Attendance at both sessions is not required, but recommended. Click here for more information:

To Understand Charlotte’s Rage, You Have to Understand Its Roads [ThinkProgress]

"To understand Charlotte’s long slide from modeling integration to typifying division, and the specific set of circumstances that led to an eruption in the streets this week, you have to understand the history of the highways where protesters have seized national attention...Charlotte’s current social geography isn’t sustainable — at least not if the city is to retain its progressive reputation as the capital of a 'new South'." As Charlotte heals and engages in a deeper dialogue about how to take steps toward a more equitable future, it's important to remember how the history of our built environment plays a major role in our current educational, economic, and social inequities.

Report Points to 12 Affordable Housing Strategies [PlanCharlotte]

"What are other communities doing to address the need to develop affordable housing in their communities?  A new report from the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, released Wednesday, presents 12 strategies other cities are using to develop affordable housing, with a focus on the financial feasibility of developing affordable housing and ensuring long-term affordability...The report looks at how the various strategies have worked in other cities, describing plusses and minuses for the different approaches and providing context for how each strategy might relate to Charlotte-Mecklenburg." Affordable housing is critical to our region's sustainability. We are glad to see that Charlotte-Mecklenburg is studying affordable housing policy in-depth and considering ways to better implement it in our communities!

CATS Unveils New Route for Silver Line Along Independence Boulevard [The Charlotte Observer]

"After nearly two decades of discussion, the Charlotte Area Transit System has selected a route for the Silver Line – a proposed light-rail line running along and near Independence Boulevard from uptown to Matthews...the transit system is pushing ahead with a concrete plan so residents can picture what the future might hold – and be more willing to support a possible tax increase to build it." We're thrilled this development of the Silver Line is moving forward that will give many more people the option to ride transit. We're also happy to see that this development will include 7-10 miles of rail trails for pedestrians and cyclists, too!