We believe that greenways, parks, and nature preserves are fundamental to a healthy, vibrant, equitable community. That’s why we spent 2022 advocating for Mecklenburg County to create more of them.

This blog features the impactful work that North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association member Sustain Charlotte engages in to achieve its mission of creating a more sustainable future for Charlotte-area residents, focusing on transportation and mobility, the economy, buildings and development, and social equity. 

It was originally posted by NCSEA and jointly written by Alex Clingman from NCSEA and Lauren Sawyers of Sustain Charlotte. 

Mecklenburg County commissioners' decision last month to earmark $50 million to buy land for greenways, parks, and nature preserves this fiscal year has been a hot topic in the news this week — along with Sustain Charlotte's advocacy for that funding.

Mecklenburg County commissioners on Wednesday approved a $2.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2023 that includes $50 million to acquire land for expanding parks, greenways, and nature preserves. This is an important step in growing a greenway network that is critical to the mental and physical health of our residents, the environmental wellbeing of our county, and the economic mobility and equality of everyone in our community.

Yesterday, Sustain Charlotte Program Manager Elina Shepard attended the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners' public hearing on the recommended budget for fiscal year 2022-23 to thank the County Manager and Commissioners for prioritizing investment in the equitable and sustainable future of Mecklenburg County.

Sustain Charlotte partnered with Partners for Parks and Park and Rec Commissioner Paul Freestone to sign up as a group and coordinated on our comments to speak with one voice during the January 19, 2022 Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners budget hearing.

Here's what we said:

Today we celebrated with neighborhood residents, City staff, and elected officials as one of Charlotte's most treacherous streets for walking and riding a bicycle became a whole lot safer! 

A ribbon-cutting was held to formally celebrate the new bike lanes. (photo: David Flower)

It's Climate Week through this Sunday, and we want to take a moment to share our perspective on why Sustain Charlotte's work is so critical to reducing our local contribution to climate pollution.

In addition to being critical to creating a more equitable city, we focus on smart growth and transportation choices because both are critical to curbing climate change.

Our Challenge

Charlotte’s explosive growth continues. We support sustainable growth that ensures the Charlotte area is a great place to live and work for all. But our traditional growth pattern – low-density and heavily auto-centric — is not sustainable for the generations who will live and work here in the years ahead and has made living here difficult for many today.

On June 21, 2021 the Charlotte 2040 Comprehensive Plan was approved by Charlotte City Council by a 6-5 vote with all of the critical policies and goals we were advocating for intact!