UNC Charlotte Urban Institute Records

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute records consist of a variety of materials from the organization, including meeting agendas and minutes, annual reports, self-studies, proposals, news releases, news clippings, photographs, notes, building designs, newsletters, brochures, and a board game.

The first series, Institute for Urban Studies and Community Service, includes annual reports (1972-1978), minutes, a 1970 self-study that traces the establishment of the institute, and material from “Celebrate Charlotte.” These materials date from the time when the Urban Institute was known by its initial title, the Institute for Urban Studies and Community Service.

The bulk of the collection pertains to the development of University Place, a mixed-use community in the University City area of Charlotte, North Carolina. The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute played a major role in the development of this community, and files in the University Place series include minutes, correspondence, land plats, zoning information, building designs, and photographs.

The third series consists of materials pertaining to the Piedmont Waste Exchange program, later known as the Southeast Waste Exchange until its termination on January 31, 2001. Materials such as a program description and material on liability issues, market assessment studies, and small quantity hazardous waste generators are included. The bulk of this series is the program’s newsletter, initially called the Mecklenburg County Waste Exchange, then the Waste Watcher. Volume 10, Number 3 of the Waste Watcher (1989) is not included.

A fourth series holds CLUG, the Community Land Use Game, developed by Allan F. Feldt. Included are background information, the published instructor’s manual, the player’s manual, a game board, game board sheets, and the game pieces, play money, and information sheets needed to play the game.

In addition, single files on the Civic Index Project (1988-1989), the Charlotte meeting of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (1995), and the 35th Anniversary celebration of the Urban Institute (2004) can be found in this collection.

Also included is film that, according to Dr. Norman Schul, documents a conference held in New York City in 1968 where the concept of forming what is now the Urban Institute was presented.