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.

Last year Charlotte City Council approved a plan that aims to make Charlotte a low carbon city by 2050. And last week 75 people gathered with us at Triple C Brewing to hear more about how this plan is getting off the ground.

You may have heard that Minneapolis recently approved a new Comprehensive Plan, which for the first time attempted to address racial segregation in the City’s housing patterns. To do this, the plan removed single-family zoning and allowed duplexes and triplexes in formerly single-family-only neighborhoods. While this move was controversial within the city, it was ultimately approved, and is being heralded across the country as a concrete step to address the challenges of racial equity and affordable housing.