Mayor Pat McCrory has called trees, such as the stately willow oaks that line older streets, the city's biggest asset. Outside the old neighborhoods, the woods and fields that once lay right outside the city's door are becoming scarce. If current trends continue, a recent study found, the Charlotte region will lose an average of 41 acres of open space each day for the next 20 years. Sprawl doesn't go unchallenged. Some Mecklenburg towns have embraced New Urbanism, which emphasizes pedestrian-scale developments.
Land trusts protect the best places.
None have yet transformed Charlotte. But it's a start. Observer staff writer Bruce Henderson covers environmental issues.