Unity in Disasters: Schools, Planners, and Natural Hazards
It’s a disturbing cycle: schools with high poverty rates and limited resources have the lowest-performing students, receive less funding, then even lower outcomes, which causes fewer people to want to move there, decreasing the tax base upon which resources are determined, and further depleting scarce resources. Researchers, public officials, and leaders across disciplines are concerned with figuring out how to break the vicious relationship between … Continue reading Unity in Disasters: Schools, Planners, and Natural Hazards
Carolina Angles Launching its Winter Photo Contest
Do you have winter travel plans? Preparing for a holiday staycation? Either way, Carolina Angles invites you to participate in our Winter Photo Contest! We encourage UNC planning students, alumni, and all urban enthusiasts to enter. Photos will be judged based on aesthetics as well the articulated connection to planning. The photographer of the winning photo will receive: Pre-order of Volume 44 of the Carolina … Continue reading Carolina Angles Launching its Winter Photo Contest
Utility Ratemaking and Energy Efficiency
Introduction The utility ratemaking formula is used to set the rates for electricity. Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) account for things like capital expenditures and operating expenses to determine what to charge customers in order to stay financially healthy. The Public Utilities Commission of each of each state is in charge of ensuring that these rates are just and reasonable. However, there are underlying motivations in … Continue reading Utility Ratemaking and Energy Efficiency
Racial Inequality, Gentrification, and Poverty: The History and Context of Durham’s Affordability Crisis
On any given night in Durham, young people mill about on Rigsbee Avenue, ducking into the bars and restaurants that have cropped up there. Liberty Warehouse, an upscale condominium complex that once was a tobacco auction warehouse, looms farther up the street. The transformation of this street is emblematic of Durham’s transition from a working-class tobacco town to a hip city known for its food … Continue reading Racial Inequality, Gentrification, and Poverty: The History and Context of Durham’s Affordability Crisis
Distribution Centers Need Planning, Too
As urbanization increases, land costs are higher, and the wealthy are outbidding other classes for housing in the central city. According to the U.S. Census, more than 80% of the country’s population lives in cities.[i] The rise of e-commerce produces an outsized demand for goods delivered rapidly. The suburbs, long thought of as an oasis for the wealthy from the grit of industrialization, is now experiencing … Continue reading Distribution Centers Need Planning, Too
What You Need to Know About the California Camp Fire
The Camp Fire, named after Camp Creek Road near where it originated, has been burning since November 8, 2018. It is the worst wildfire in California’s history; this is not simply a state tragedy, but a national one. Furthermore, it is one that speaks to the unmeasured cost of climate change, which includes damage to environmental resources, expenditure of emergency resources, loss of built capital, … Continue reading What You Need to Know About the California Camp Fire
Not All Developers Are Boogeymen
So why do people hate developers so much? UCLA conducted a study to examine just that, and their conclusion boils down to two primary reasons. First, developers generally get in and out of the market as quickly as possible to reduce risk, limiting their ability to engage with the community. Second, people do not like that developers make money by building public and private space … Continue reading Not All Developers Are Boogeymen
Building with Big Cats in Mind
Most of us like animals. Maybe not spiders or rats (those poor guys get a bad rap), but adorable bobcats or soaring eagles? Something in these creatures captivates us in an often-unconscious way. This intrigue comes from our biophilia, or ‘love of life,’ which refers to the innate tendency of humans to be drawn to other life forms. Not only do we feel an affinity … Continue reading Building with Big Cats in Mind
Post-Florence: Where do we go from here?
Robert Simmons, pictured above, was a New Bern resident who lost most of his belongings in the storm. He is seen here evacuating with his kitten named Survivor, leaving his father who chose to stay behind. Robert is one of many New Bern residents whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Florence, which was responsible for more than $100 million damages estimated by September 23rd.1 North … Continue reading Post-Florence: Where do we go from here?
Carolina Angles’ First Semi-Annual Photo Contest
Fall break is a great opportunity to explore a nearby town or city. This year, Carolina Angles launched its first Semi-Annual Photo Contest. Planning students submitted their favorite photos from fall break for a chance to win. The winning photo shows us the Biltmore Conservatory in Asheville, NC. Other entries include beautiful scenery from Hanging Rock State Park, a Mid-century Modern Home from Moyaone Reserve, … Continue reading Carolina Angles’ First Semi-Annual Photo Contest
Carolina Planning Journal 