Β For a lot of people, Charlotte really is the “big city”, with all the lures that might entail: nightlife, culture, food, events. Β The city has it all. Β It certainly must have something, because the suburbs are losing out these days. Β Cities like Charlotte are growing faster than the ‘burbs, in a reversal of the urban sprawl idea. Β So why is Charlotte so much better than the surrounding areas?
US Census data proves it: Charlotte is the 8th fastest growing city in America, adding more than 18,000 people to the population last year. Β And across the board, big cities are growing faster than suburbs. Β Not by much, because there are only a few really big cities out there, and a whole lot of suburbs. Β But for nearly a hundred years, until the 2000s, suburbs were growing faster than cities. Β Now the tables have turned.
So what was the reason for the big turnaround? Β The census data doesn’t tell us that, which means we had to do a little digging of our own. Β So our Man on the Edge, Robert Wilder, hit the streets of our fine city to find out: why is Charlotte so much better than the surrounding suburbs?
