The footprints of the city of the future could be as close as Centennial Campus.
As the population of the Southeastern U.S. continues to grow and urbanize, it is projected that sprawl could create a continuous urban landscape stretching from Charlotte to Atlanta and beyond, dubbed “Charlanta.” In anticipation of such a megacity, The Long View Project, the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs, the Peter A. Pappas Real Estate Development Program and the NC State University Libraries, hosted the “Envisioning Urban Futures: Charlanta” symposium at the Hunt Library this past November.
The event, a follow-up to 2023’s Envisioning Urban Futures event, brought together experts from across disciplines to look specifically at the Southeastern megalopolis and share visions for how growth can be compatible with livability and sustainability.
“With Envisioning Urban Futures, we’re attempting to answer questions like: How can we grow in ways that draw on creativity, resilience, and innovative uses of technology to prioritize livability, sustainability and harmony with the surrounding environment?” said Rob Dunn, senior vice provost for University Interdisciplinary Programs.
The concept of “Charlanta” is based on an article co-authored by Dunn and several others —The Southern Megalopolis: Using the Past to Predict the Future of Urban Sprawl in the Southeast U.S. — published in the PLOS One journal in 2014.
The keynote speaker was Dan Burden, a thought leader and implementation-focused practitioner in walkability, active transportation, traffic calming, safe routes to school, placemaking and street design. Burden brings diverse teams together, integrating transportation planning with land use and health programming to build inclusive and vibrant communities. His expertise is in helping communities envision and implement streets that promote walking, bicycling and social engagement.
“We’re really seeing a surge of interest in discussion of this kind of futurescape,” said Jory Weintraub, director of science engagement in the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs. “When we planned our first ‘Envisioning Urban Futures’ event in 2023 we initially conceived of it as a one-off, but there was such a high level of interest that we decided to make it an annual event, and ‘Charlanta’ seemed like a really interesting topic to explore this time.”
Featured speakers, who also gave interdisciplinary insights into future sustainable megacities, including the following:
- Adam Terando – Research Ecologist with the US Geological Survey at the Southeast Climate Science Adaptation Center, NC State
- Dara Bloom – Associate Professor of Agricultural and Human Sciences, and Assistant Director of Community Based Food Systems for the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, NC State
- Francis de los Reyes – Glenn E. and Phyllis J. Futrell Distinguished Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, NC State
- Liz McCormick – Assistant Professor of Architecture, UNC Charlotte
In his talk Terando, spoke on the future of urban sprawl and what megacities of the future will look like. Bloom explored the challenge of feeding 100 million people. De Los Reyes followed that with a discussion of how you manage waste removal for that same population, while also providing them with clean drinking water. McCormick answered questions like “How do you house so many people?” and “How do you sustainably keep people cool in a warming climate without using massive amounts of energy?”
All of the featured talks can be viewed here.
The Envisioning Urban Futures expo featured students (including graduate students, undergraduates and even a group from a local STEM-focused high school), NC State faculty and staff, and local government and community groups presenting on topics ranging from “The inverted neighborhood as a sustainable future urban design” to “Sharing Raleigh’s next Comprehensive Plan” and more.
Sara Snyder, the manager of NC State’s Agroecology Education Farm, presented at the Envisioning Urban Futures expo to spread awareness about the farm. Agroecology has a strong emphasis on sustainability and community, and these principles are central to the concept behind Charlanta being an intentional and functional development.
“Many NC State students and faculty do not know that the farm exists and how close it is to campus,” said Snyder. “We had some unique produce on display to showcase the variety we grow at the farm. It was many people’s first time seeing turmeric root and lemongrass!”
“The Agroecology Education Farm serves as an example of how an institution can source from and support local organic agriculture. Individual food choices are important, but when an institution makes strides in sustainable food sourcing, it has a greater impact and connects a broader audience to their local agriculture community,” she added.
Even the food provided at the event had a future focus. For two years in a row, Envisioning Urban Futures planners have worked with Rave! Catering to come up with a menu consistent with anticipated trends for dining in the future. This wasn’t “space food,” but rather alternative protein sources; think desserts made of cricket protein flour, and locally sourced, sustainable foods grown on NC State’s own agroecology farm and cheeses from local dairies.
So what’s next for Envisioning Urban Futures? With growing interest within and outside of the university community, the organizing committee is eagerly exploring possible topics for their third annual event. If you have ideas or suggestions, or would just like to be added to an interest list regarding Envisioning Urban Futures, please reach out to Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs Director of Science Engagement Jory Weintraub at weintraub@ncsu.edu.