Report: Unprotected Charlotte land to be built out in 25 years

Charlotte Business Journal

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All developable land in Mecklenburg County could be built out within 25 years, according to researchers at UNC Charlotte.

The Charlotte region saw development increase more than 850 percent between 1976 and 2006, according to a study of 24 N.C. counties. An average of 105 acres of natural and rural lands were converted to development per day, the research estimates.

Following current patterns, about 2.2 million acres would be developed by 2030, or 30 percent of the region's landscape.

The forecast comes from a study of urban growth released Tuesday by the Renaissance Computer Institute at UNC Charlotte -- a collaboration of the University's Center for Applied Geographic Information Science, the Charlotte Visualization Center and the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute -- and the Open Space Protection Collaborative.

Historical satellite imagery was used to produce maps that track development patterns over three decades.

"Those of us in the business of preserving our natural landscapes as a balance to healthy growth in such a vital region will find this indispensable, and we are looking forward to sharing this new data with our partners across the region," says Dave Cable, executive director of the Catawba Lands Conservancy. "Our hope is that this tool will also compel people to action to balance growth with thoughtful conservation."

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