The planning director in Charlotte, North

The planning director in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently urged the City Council to exert greater control over growth in this rapidly expanding metropolitan area. Martin Cramton recommended that the city create mixed-use zoning districts around planned transit stops and in the remaining large parcels of undeveloped land on Charlotte’s edges. The city needs to design an interconnected road network for these outlying areas, Cramton told the council. In addition, he suggested that the city emphasize reinvestment in existing neighborhoods and back it up by partnering with private developers. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory supports swift action on this agenda.