All posts by Kristen Jeffers

Kristen Jeffers has always been interested in how cities work. She’s also always loved writing things. She went off to a major state university, got a communication degree and then started a more professional Blogger site. Then, in her graduate seminar on urban politics, along with browsing the urbanist blogosphere, she realized that her ideas should have a stronger, clearer voice, one that reflects her identity as a Black southern woman. And with that The Black Urbanist blog was born. Seven years, one Twitter account, one self-published book, two podcasts and a litany of speeches and urban planning projects later, here we are.
Cities, Cityreads, Civic Inferiority Complex

The Unbrand of a Citizen

Wikimedia Commons

What is it about branding cities that appeals to people so much? Is it not unlike the push to identify oneself? If you are highly in tune with your image and what that image is, then you are constantly doing things to make it better.

And that quest to make things better, on an individual level, might mean that one needs to move, change jobs, dump a partner, start a business and a host of other things that are only indirectly affected by the greater brand of a business or municipality. People who are super rich can afford to have homes in multiple locales. They have an affinity and sometimes a corporate presence in multiple locales. Poor people are just trying to make ends meet and if given the opportunity, will go wherever they need to go to make that life happen. If anything, the city brand is aimed at people in the middle, those who are aspiring and holding on to what is left of the traditional American Dream.

But even some of those folks are immune to city loyalty. And it’s not a failure of any city to not keep or satisfy any of these folks. I used to hate Tiebout’s “Vote with Your Feet” model. I though he was a cop-out to making sure all towns provide all people what they need at all times. I still believe that the gold standard of any area that wants to be incorporated, is to provide all that is needed. Yet, for a means of self-preservation and I mean that on a mental health and Mazlow’s hierarchy of needs level, I believe people should move on if they find that a metro area or an apartment or a job or even family members, aren’t providing them with the basic needs. Especially if the bottom part of the triangle (food, shelter, etc.) aren’t there. No city brand can combat the unfufillment of Mazlow’s hierarchy.

So even though I agree with the spirit of changing the mantra of Greensboro to one that doesn’t mention what’s not here and I’m excited to hear that Raleigh’s solidifying their brand, there will always be detractors, and some will be valid.

But please cities, stop blaming yourselves when you can’t brand an individual citizen.

Cityreads, tbt, throwbackthursday

#Throwback Thursday: Urban Design Must Have Heart and Soul

Today,  I want to begin celebrating the spirit of Throwback Thursday (#tbt) and bring to you a post from our archives. Each week here on The Black Urbanist, I’m going to bring back one of my favorite essays, for comparison and for your entertainment. This week’s essay is from July 11, 2011. This post was not only published here on The Black Urbanist, but also at Sustainable Cities Collective, where I am a featured contributor. At the time I was lamenting the loss of Vintage 301, the neighborhood haunt that would later become Dames Chicken and Waffles. I also laugh, because the last line in the post has come true in a big way (with waffles AND wings). Also, it’s one of the most popular restaurants in Greensboro and its Durham iteration sometimes has lines going out the door. Check out my thoughts from three years ago and be sure to share them. After the break, step into why Urban Design Must Have Heart and Soul.

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We must be careful that the Southside neighborhood and others like it, fall back into the darkness at the expense of other vibrant neighborhoods, such as our traditional downtown (Image Credit: Unknown Flickr user via CityBoi at Skyscraper City Forums)

Recently the national-award winning, Duany Plater-Zybek designed community of Southside in Greensboro lost a key tenant, Vintage 301. Outside of Manny’s Universal Café, this was the only restaurant in the neighborhood and only consistent draw of people outside of the small neighborhood inside. While there are a few hair salons and other small businesses left, the neighborhood has gradually gone from mixed use back to urban-esque suburbia.

I say this to deal with the idea that is at the core of much of new urbanism:

If you build it they will come + a cleaner urban form= success despite our economic and social failures

Yet, at the end of the day, many of us have no disposable income. We can’t sell our houses or afford to buy new ones. Some of us can’t even afford to rent homes, rent or buy cars or even eat. We want to start businesses, but you need money to do that too. Some existing business and homes are getting choked by the increased tax values. Cities are not working carefully with small businesses to deal with tax liabilities (yet continually give breaks to big ones who can more than afford to pay).

So what does one do in a situation like this? What does this mean for urbanism (and suburbanism and ruralism)? I’m not sure of all the answers, but it starts in one place, working together.

When we lose money and get poor, we often retract into the worse of ourselves. We hoard, we covet, we criticize. The fear of losing our identity swells far and above our own minds and makes us create false stories about our friends, family, colleagues and leaders. With this negativity, we find it hard to go on in our present state and we spend time over-analyzing how others seem to be getting along.

I think this negativity is at the root of where we stand as a country right now. However, I recently learned that no matter what, it’s better to be grateful for what does exist. Even though I can’t rent a house, I am able to live with my mom and help her with things at our house. The bus still runs from 5 AM to 11PM here in Greensboro and 24 hours in some places. I could ride a bike. And at the basic level, I’m breathing, seeing, walking and talking and writing this post.

To bring this tangent back to a close, we have to look past the built environment for a minute and work on restoring the souls of our fellow community members. We have to have hard conversations and ask hard questions. We have to make hard demands. Yet, I don’t know of a person who has some means, yet is complaining about lost of livelihood, that doesn’t have something they can share. Maybe it’s a shoulder to cry on, an extra shirt, an extra plate or a ride to work.

Still, we will not be able to fill our communities and embrace a density until we desire to live in harmony again. A harmony that looks past differences in matters of the heart and makes sure people can have the freedom to wake up and live comfortably.

Just like I called on DC residents on Twitter to do, it’s not about race-baiting, it’s not about keeping improvements off the streets, it’s about getting our city economics back on track, and remembering all legal business is good business. Even if it’s just an upscale wing joint that moves into the old Vintage 301 space.

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Cities, Family and Place, gentrification, Rural

Are Historically-Black Towns History?

Photo credit: Drew Grimes/Wikimedia

Recently, I came across two sets of articles about Historically Black towns in Oklahoma and in Missouri. Part as a means of segregation and part as a means of dignity, self-respect and control of the civic space, African-Americans established or had help establishing their own towns after slavery. Unfortunately, the promises of economic growth and civic engagement were short-lived in many of these towns. Some were burned down. Others were disenfranchised or had other restrictions placed on them. Others died thanks to integration and increased opportunities for Blacks. In North Carolina, the town of Princeville, the first incorporated Black town in the United States. was nearly washed out by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. It has recovered, but as recently as 2012 had its town accounting taken over by the State of North Carolina.

Yet the opportunity exists for some of these towns to improve. Some can restore what architecture is left. Others can launch efforts to lure entrepreneurs and others interested in the slow food, do-it-yourself, and community placemaking movements. Plus, for those seeking refuge from higher rents in the city, but still wanting a walkable and vibrant neighborhood, they could become a newer version of whatever inner city neighborhood has died. For those who have outlived their usefulness or are too damaged for repair, care should be taken to preserve history through monuments and exhibits and folk festivals. Fellow planner and author Sheryse N. Dubose has called upon those, namely fellow Black Americans, who see themselves as being victims of gentrification, to gentrify their own selves, i.e. return to older towns and neighborhoods, purchase these homes that have value to other cultures and maintain unique characteristics such as eateries, music venues and corner stores that sell specific foods.

Something else that’s interesting, is how the struggles of black towns compare to struggles of black neighborhoods in bigger, integrated on paper, cities. It appears that in the times of segregation, that black towns were able to avoid issues of redlining, urban renewal and gentrification by enacting their own self governance. Their main threat, if the surrounding white towns did not care that they succeeded, appeared to be loss of commerce, no different than those predominately white small towns and rural townships. Other questions that arise are their ability to accept people of other cultures, such as Mexican farm workers or Asian refugees to regrow their population; if some major cities are defacto black towns now (i.e. Detroit) ;and can we continue our quest for integration, while preserving history and unique cultural businesses?

It is ultimately the question that has been the center of my blogging for the past 3 years: is black urbanism still a thing?

And with that, I invite you over to North Carolina Placebook for something that’s quite living, the latest news on governance and placemaking throughout North Carolina.

Cities, Cityreads, Family and Place, Greensboro

The Greensboro I Know Now

Amtrak's Piedmont Arrives from Raleigh
After writing Friday’s post, I have a few bullets I want to add about the Greensboro I’ve come to know since my return just over five years ago. The Greensboro that I know now:

–Has a real downtown. I can go dancing, hear jazz music on Friday nights, play pool, get an authentic Irish pub experience, get fresh veggies, craft beer, veggie lasagna, veggie pizza that doesn’t make me miss the meat, gourmet soul food and good brand new books on my own two feet, without risking life and limb (except sometimes at the Davie/McGee/MLK train bridge convergence).

–Has three times the number of  apartments downtown. The one I occupy has been a great place to live for almost two years. Having more housing downtown and housing similar to what’s offered in other cities also brings people from all over the world together, as they come here for jobs and school. I love getting to meet new people with different cultures in the frame of the culture of which I was raised.

–Has world-class, top-notch universities here, that are producing leaders in their fields and making sure we aren’t as far behind on the job numbers as we could be. Also, this site and all my subsequent ventures, would not exist had I not pursued higher education right here in town.

–Has generational and cultural issues. I could call them something else, but it really boils down to the generational tides. If we can get those straightened out and realize that everyone working doesn’t want to be corporate, no corporate suit can keep you from being your creative self after hours and there is wisdom on both sides of the fence, then we will get better. And yes, the problem is still a problem, but how much of that is really fear of irrelevance and impoverishment? No person can keep you from doing exactly what you need them to do in this world.If they are and they do, then the problem is on them and yes, we sometimes have to keep working just a little bit harder to get ahead. Shouldn’t have to, but we do.

And with that, I’m going to end the bullets. I could go on for days about this, but I’m going to leave with this letter, that I wrote a few weeks back about how much I love, but sometimes loathe, my hometown.

Looking for Placebook’s Daily News? Go here. Starting this week, the news will be on North Carolina Placebook and daily essays will be right here, standing alone. In order to not miss a beat, subscribe directly to the daily news roundup here. If you have been on the email from the very beginning, you will automatically get the news email, unless you have or will want to unsubscribe.

Cities, Cityreads, Raleigh, Uncategorized

The Raleigh I Knew

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The Raleigh I met yesterday (4/3/20414). Clockwise from left, Sushi Blues Cafe on Glenwood Avenue, Glenwood South looking south from the corner of Peace and Glenwood, Reynolds Coliseum and the partially constructed Talley Student Union on NC State University's Campus.
The Raleigh I met yesterday (4/3/20414). Clockwise from left, Sushi Blues Cafe on Glenwood Avenue, Reynolds Coliseum and the partially constructed Talley Student Union on NC State University’s Campus and Glenwood South looking south from the corner of Peace and Glenwood.

Quite simply, the Raleigh I met when I first went off to college in 2004:

–Had yet to air condition the dorm I lived in and introduce on campus apartments for freshmen.

–Hadn’t introduced downtown apartments (and student housing) on a mass scale. Now, it seems like a new unit pops up daily on every block.

–Didn’t have a way to track its campus buses, nor did those buses connect downtown (or did downtown have it’s connector bus).

–Was sprawling out of control with no plan to fix it.

— Didn’t have bars and restaurants that turned their strip parking lots into decks and connect with street walkability. See Exhibit A above.

— Didn’t use roundabouts to manage traffic flow and make it more friendly to pedestrians

–Had buildings that garnered attention from the world, but had yet to build iconic ones in the modern era.

–Had northern hills, but no midtown.

–Had buses stuck in traffic, instead of zooming down shoulders.

–Had yet to finish educating this bright-eyed, bushy-tailed graduate of its largest university and get her to return back to be a part of this growing community.

The last half of that last bullet is not true. Yet. Oh and check out how Raleigh’s redefining itself on an official (and unofficial) branding level. Be sure to include your own Raleigh’s you’ve come to know (I’ll accept other RTP area cities too) in the comments here, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Then have a great weekend. Read the news first though:

Great to see Durham’s Organic Transit and their ELF vehicle get mentioned in USA Today.

A Charlotte-centered analysis of its recent ranking on Smart Growth America’s sprawl list.

Although he often puts out political signs in front of his establishments, a Greensboro developer is under fire for one particular set of signs for one candidate.

High Point honors its Winter Olympian.

The agenda for last night’s Guilford commissioners meeting. What was actually discussed.

The CFO of the International Civil Rights Museum and Center reaches out to black professional groups for help promoting the museum, but also blames Greensboro City Council members by name for not supporting them.

More name calling amongst local elected officials, this time in Asheville and Buncombe County.

WRAL’s report on the VMT issue.

Canton’s Evergreen Packaging is working with the EPA to switch its boilers to natural gas and reduce air pollution in the area.

Charlotte’s Students First charter school to close next week, leaving 3oo K-8 students without a school in the middle of the spring semester.

Part of the newly widened I-85 in the Charlotte area will open in phases this weekend.

Now hints of bribery are surfacing around the Charlotte Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Charlotte residents are engaging with their own battle over trees with Duke Energy. More on this new “growth regulator,” which will also be used in Greensboro.

The Triad office of CRBE is purchasing Hagan Properties.

Forsyth County’s teen drug court has its first graduates.

Cumberland County officials have changed their guidelines for potential county health services operators.

UNC Wilmington is using renderings of athletic facilities to increase giving to that department, while the academic side is searching for ideas to increase giving.

The small businesses on Wilmington’s Castle Street gathered to celebrate their success.

Downtown Durham’s Pleiades Gallery celebrates its first year.

How Raleigh’s always loved entertainment venues, and is currently making its Pullen Park more popular.

And finally, a first look at the bill to make the state’s first public-private economic development agency.

Cities, Cityreads

Placebook: Loving the Un-Loveable Building

Harrelson Hall, N.C. State University
Harrelson Hall, N.C. State University

In honor of returning to my alma mater (the undergraduate one) for our annual PR Day,I wanted to take a moment and talk about its most unusual building. Some of you may think I want to talk about this one. Yes, it’s special. But it’s getting a lot of love and support now. No, the one I want to really discuss is the one pictured above.

At one time, it was  revolutionary, much like the Hunt Library is now. However, according to this account, things quickly went south. Oh and the building is too; it’s rumored (among other things) that the building is sinking in the ground. However, even though it may not exist in a few years, either from collapsing under its own weight or being torn down once all the student amenities move to the renovated student center in 2015, it’s still lovable.

Currently, those amenities include the bookstore and the Student Government. When I was in school, it was the math, history, and sometimes Spanish building. In other words, I spent a lot of time there, in its pie shaped classrooms and walking down its spiral ramp. I also complained along with everyone else about its steep outdoor staircases, tore a few holes in items in its tight and sharp wooden seats and got dizzy walking up and down the ramp. However, I also aced both math classes I took in that building, including one that I completely flunked out of in high school. And it’s an architectural marvel. Round buildings don’t exist everywhere. In essence, even our most hated buildings can house our best achievements and most unique and interesting ideas.

And with that, today’s news (will also be hashtaging and photographing my visit via Twitter and Instagram with #prday2014 and #ncstate):

Another one of those list sites has this list of the top small towns/cities in North Carolina.

Heated words were exchanged at Tuesday night’s Greensboro City Council meeting over nonprofit salaries.

You can soon get your gourmet PB&J fix in downtown Greensboro.

Greensboro’s economic development director is retiring.

The City of Raleigh wants to buy the Dorothea Dix campus from the state.

The Stanley Furniture plant in Graham County is closing, making western North Carolina’s most jobless county even more jobless.

Downtown Greensboro’s Scuppernong Books gets good marks from UNCG’s Carolinian for being student and young people friendly.

A downtown Winston-Salem daycare opened with incentives is now seeking more help from city leaders to continue to operate.

Carrboro may ban drive-throughs throughout the entire town.

Wilmington has a long way to go to be more business friendly, according to a study.

The State of North Carolina expects to have its unemployment insurance debt paid off by the end of next year.

Buncombe County sheriff’s office is moving.

Not just one but two hotels will be coming to the old BB&T property in Asheville.

North Carolina has been named the 10th most dangerous state for cyclists by the publication Insurance Business America.

Why the state of North Carolina may regret making so many of its employees exempt from the State Personnel Act.

The Durham Bulls stadium got a 20 million dollar makeover in the offseason.

Raleigh police have ordered three cars, each from one of the Big Three automakers, and are testing them to decide which car will replace the entire fleet.

How one apartment management firm in Raleigh is seeing the benefit of investing in non-luxury apartments.

The blowout bar trend has made it to Charlotte.

And finally, the NC Department of Public Instruction has released the annual school crime and safety report, which also includes the dropout rate for all North Carolina public schools.

Cities, Cityreads, Transportation

Placebook: Is North Carolina Ready for A Vehicle Mileage Tax?

My car parked. Will it be parked more because of potential new VMT?
My car parked. Will it be parked more because of a potential new VMT?

Yesterday I linked to an article that mentioned that the NC DOT has decided to study the implementation of a Vehicle Mileage Tax (VMT). I thought it was an April Fools joke. I was wrong. For those of you out of the loop, this is a tax collected by a meter either placed on your car or along roadways to register how many miles you drive. You then pay taxes based on how much you drive. This would replace the fuel tax that we currently pay at the pump and raise more money for transportation needs.

While this has become the preferred method of taxing drivers of many of my urbanist and good governance friends, I’m concerned that we as a state just aren’t quite ready to make the switch. First of all, we don’t have reasonable alternatives to driving in 90% of the state. The kinds of folks who would avoid this tax by not driving tend to be affluent or at least not burdened by having an extra or higher tax, work at home, or within walking distance from their jobs. Yet, many of the jobs that pay low, such as restaurants and warehouses, as well as  many offices that pay a normal wage and require daily attendance, require a significant drive. While gas prices would drop under this plan, the taxes would be shifted and possibly increase under this plan, causing pain to even those who are somewhat well off, but not able to absorb a higher tax bill.

Which wouldn’t be so bad, if all that new tax money went to creating and strengthening transit, putting in more sidewalks and even to incentives for offices and other non-industrial grade businesses to move into easily walkable areas, so that people don’t have to drive as much. I however, don’t trust the state government in its current iteration to funnel the money properly. The article alludes to the state government considering this tax only because we are in budget shortfall for our current vehicle-related tax methods. Also, we are just adjusting to toll roads, and that’s in the populous and relatively affluent cities of the state. This tax could essentially turn every road into a toll road, in a time where salaries and wages are not keeping pace with our expenses. Things could change, as this measure is studied and tested, but right now, if it were implemented today, I believe it would be an extra burden.

And with that, today’s news:

Wake County Schools has filed suit to recover 1 million dollars of bond money from Wake County.

The state feels confident that the food stamp backlog is behind them. Guilford’s DSS named an interim director and also criticized the state for sending mixed messages about whether or not the backlog is really gone.

The City of Greensboro will not appeal to the state utilities commission to get their tree ordinance back. Everything else that happened last night can be found by searching for #gsopol on Twitter.

What’s going on in the Triad area restaurant and food scene.

Suggestions on how High Point can remain an events center year-round.

Wilmington residents are picketing for higher firefighter and police salaries.

Managers at the Hamilton Forest owned by N.C. State University may have violated the Clean Water Act.

A Southern Season is still planning to come to Charlotte.

The DOT has hired a firm to count ballots placed in a vote to determine whether or not to build noise walls on Charlotte’s I-277.

UNCG’s new pedestrian tunnel under the railroad bridge has opened. UNC-Chapel Hill has opened a new imaging research building.

Citizens and police assess Fayetteville’s Massey Hill Neighborhood, which as soon as ten years ago was ground zero for major crime activity.

Durham’s Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department has fired its chief and is restructuring as it’s been threatened with budget cuts.

Cumberland County Schools will eliminate 80 jobs next year, 50 of those teaching. New Hanover County Schools has established its teacher tenure process.

Durham’s Human Relations Commission is nearing the end of its investigation into Durham police tactics.

A former Durham school board member has suspended his legal action after losing in a runoff election, that has raised questions about the election process for school board leaders.

Harnett County Commissioners have stopped their legal action against a local shooting range.

If statewide film incentives are not increased, it may cause the loss of 4,000 jobs, according to a recent study.

Brunswick County Schools may change their daily start times for students.

A Wilmington man will be helping plant the White House Kitchen Garden.

And finally, North Carolina natives, let us be proud of how we talk.

Cities, Cityreads

Placebook: Upside Down City

upside down-April FoolsSo this is what I woke up to this morning. Happy April Fools right? The city is upside down!!!!

You know I’m kidding, but I want to be serious for a moment. There are a lot of cities that are upside down financially, spiritually and even physically. Physically, they look more fallen in, but that is still bad. Things are out of order. There are poverty and per capita income numbers that you wish were jokes, but they aren’t. Schools are failing. Youth of age are leaving. Companies aren’t coming any more and the ones that were there are shutting down. People have sicknesses that just don’t happen in cities that are right-side up.

Can these cities be turned right side up? Only time will tell. But today, despite all the jokes and tricks, I’m going to have faith in all the upside down cities.

And now, your very real news:

Greensboro City Council meets tonight at 5:30. More details here.

The Guilford County Department of Social Service director resigned, after fixing a backlog of food stamp applications that almost cost the state 88 million in federal money. However, there were other pieces of this backlog that weren’t fixed that may cost the state the funds after all.

The DOT is considering taxing North Carolina drivers by miles driven. It could raise the DOT $465 million.

A Moral Monday town hall meeting was held in Eden over the coal ash spill.

A meeting yesterday between Greensboro City Council officials and the civil rights museum was heated.

The infamous Greensboro billboard has struck again, this time making fun of Charlotte’s ex mayor.

Moving downtown? how about throwing a parade like this company did in Winston-Salem.

The latest quasi-secret “Project”? Project Foresight, which will be somewhere between High Point and Kernersville and be some sort of warehouse.

All of us baseball fans greeted Opening Day with a lively play ball yesterday; when the Greensboro Grasshoppers step to the mound on Thursday, it will be their tenth season in their downtown ballpark.

Winston-Salem City Council has decided to consider putting a $175 million bond issue on the ballot in the fall. They will also vote on April 7 about the funding arrangement between them and their minor-league baseball team, the Dash.

Charlotte City Council has postponed their vote to replace the mayor.

The EPA has slammed the DENR over the terms of their deal for Duke Energy to settle the Dan River coal ash spill.

Although approved by city leaders, the I-26 connector in Asheville has not been funded yet. One possible scenario.

Asheville City Schools are interviewing finalists for their next superintendent.

Five reasons that Wilmington may not have outlet malls.

What Wilmington officials are doing to curb gang violence.

The Wilmington Housing Authority will miss a $1.15 million dollar deadline to pay on a piece of land that has languished in their care for years.

The Fayetteville City Council has ordered sewer access  expanded by 100 homes. Cumberland County officials are asking for help from those with arsenic in their septic systems to develop a solution.

A food truck in Lumber Bridge must move, since he is on state property. However, it’s also the busiest intersection in the town.

And finally, downtown Raleigh restaurants are upset that a weekly food truck rodeo is not taking a break for Mother’s Day.

Cities, Cityreads

Placebook: Oh Lamb, Where Are You?

Best Lamb Ever

 

So for what it’s worth, March is ending like a lamb. The lights are on and the wind is a warm wind. There’s no snow on the ground and the snow that shows up is snow flurries. Wind in March is normal. The trees are blooming and it’s supposed to be 81 in two days. Which will be in April, but that’s beside the point. I want to thank you again for another wonderful month of Placebook’s Daily News. If you are seeing this on the website, be sure to subscribe to the email. If this is the email, thanks for reading and please forward and share with your friends.  And now, the news:

Greensboro City Council members will decide on Tuesday whether or not to go forward on the loan of funds to the International Civil Rights Museum and Center. The rest of Tuesday night’s city council agenda.

Charlotte will host the first Tiny House Convention this coming weekend.

North Carolina had more job losses than any state in February.

Charlotte City Council will meet to determine who will be appointed mayor today.

Decent pay and decent housing is a struggle in Asheville, but some folks are finding a way to build homes , authors have a few presses that can publish their books and people have a new place to fix their bikes. Could a land trust be part of the solution for housing and land use in Asheville?

The latest in the race for Buncombe County District Attorney.

Lowes Foods has started buying more food from local farmers.

The Rockingham County Courthouse will now accept credit and debit cards.

Kernersville is looking at property for a new library.

How Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools are facing their budget challenges for the upcoming year.

The Guilford County food stamp backlog has dropped dramatically, thanks to state workers working overtime over the weekend to fix it. If they hadn’t, 88 million dollars for the program would have been lost.

Greensboro’s Old J.C. Price school demolition has started.

Concerns are rising about unaffiliated voters, and attorneys fighting voter ID in court are accusing the state of withholding documents.

Panhandlers may be uncomfortable, but they only expose reality, according to this News and Record editorial.

The Eastern end of the Mountains to Sea trail is set to be developed this year.

Environmentalists have joined the opposition to development on the Guilford County prison farm.

Duke Energy is trying to keep its records away from the public.

The NC Zoo turns 40 this year and there will be two new exhibits to celebrate.

Popular and legendary Raleigh bar Fat Daddy’s closed this weekend.

The News and Observer calls for more parks in Raleigh amidst the new skyscrapers.

What businesses are opening and expanding in the Durham area.

Durham will continue to help run the Carolina Theater in downtown Durham, but not the Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department.

Cumberland County Manager James Martin retires today after 44 years in local government and 13 as manager.

Wilmington’s added several fashion trucks to their food trucks.

Most of Wilmington’s crime happens within a mile of public housing complexes, prompting residents to ask how to know a neighborhood is safe.

And finally, Wilmington will remove a pump station that looks like a bad mashup of Oscar the Grouch and R2-D2.

Cities, Cityreads, placemaking

Placebook: What I Learned when the Piedmont Came Together

I like to think that I’m the only one in the room or at least the local blogosphere writing the way I write and caring the way I do about what makes a city great. I wrestle all the time with how to name the industry I work in, how to portray how I live my life and to tell my city and its various civic and government organizations how they can help make things better. Yet, days like yesterday reminded me that I am nowhere near along in my pursuit. Between having some of my out-of-town urbanist friends here (and sharing the stage with one), to seeing the end of an innovative grant, to observing all three major city mayors and a few key planning officials making serious statements about changes, I felt really good after yesterday’s Piedmont Together summit. Also, if you want more recaps, information and to view presentations from yesterday, go here.

Yet, it also helps me see what I can continue to do. I hope that these weekday emails, as well as social media postings, articles and my speaking and longform writing can help maintain momentum around here to keep making things better, for transit, for housing, for food and especially for jobs and our economy. I will continue to do what I can, but realize all I have is my story and the ability to share stories and assist with implementation efforts. I can create visions and plans too, but someone has to listen and all hands have to be on deck to implement.

And now the news to start your weekend:

NCSU and NCCU join the many colleges and universities that have started food banks for students on campus.

According to the Census numbers from 2012-2013, all 12 metro areas are growing faster than the country as a whole, and it’s almost all from migration from our rural towns.

Jude Ned Mangum will serve as Wake County’s interim DA.

Charlotte’s mayor could pin all his troubles on commercial real estate developers.

The website Movoto now has its “need-to-know” list for those moving to Winston-Salem and it’s also very positive.

The Guilford School Board voted to waive make-up days, reboot the Amplify tablet program and to purchase the former Catholic school in High Point for its The Academy at High Point Central.

The Guilford County commissioners also voted last night to change how they will fund the school system, tying the base budget to property taxes and numbers of students in the system. They will adopt next year’s school budget in the coming months.

The ACC Tournament will be in Greensboro in 2015 and 2020 and Charlotte in 2019.

It is unknown when the new downtown Greensboro hotels will start construction.

The PTI Airport bridge project is on schedule, but won’t begin until 2016. The state interviewed potential builders this week.

Greensboro City Council met in closed session to discuss what’s next for the tree-trimming law, part of which was struck down by the State Utilities Commission.

Guilford County has until Monday to fix its food stamp application backlog or else it will lose $88 million in federal money for administrative support for the program.

The Greensboro City Attorney, at the request of a resident, has found that it is in fact legal for the city to ban saggy pants on buses, and at bus stops, including the Depot.

State agencies have been asked by the governor to cut budgets again.

Eighteen North Carolina rural municipalities have won infrastructure grants from the NC Rural Infrastructure Authority.

Wake County Schools shifts how it does school assignments.

Raleigh businesses want the city to rewrite its new sign rules.

Fayetteville and Cumberland County leaders want to expand public transit throughout the whole county.

Half of Cumberland County’s teachers have rejected the new state teaching contract.

The NC Port Authority has a new executive director.

New Hanover County leaders are set to review a report on the economy and jobs in their region.

A Wilmington fire station gets a new rain garden.

Greenville’s homeless shelter is expanding.

Greenville is also considering a Human Relations Commission.

Morrisville Town Council has voted to fund improvements to its Northwest Park. Morrisville’s transportation commission is asking for more road funding. Apex will open its nature park on Saturday.

Cary’s Creative Reuse Center is outgrowing its space.

Some of the voter registration challenges brought forward by Buncombe County citizens groups are moving forward.

UNC-Asheville and Shaw University are named as  least valuable colleges by The Atlantic.

And finally, the Charlotte city manager and executive staff wants the public to know that no other officials engage in “pay-to-play” tactics.