How Charlotte can become a more sustainable city -- and why that matters
When Shannon Binns moved to Charlotte in 2007 he didn’t have a car. He hadn’t had one in 10 years. He thought his car-owning days were behind him.
He quickly realized that it was really hard — and sometimes nearly impossible — to get around the city without a car.
This realization, and the belief that Charlotte needs to become a more sustainable city with various transportation options, inspired him to start Sustain Charlotte. The organization strives to “inspire choices that lead to a healthier and more vibrant community for generations to come.”
Binns joined us on the CharlotteFive Podcast this week to talk about transportation choices in Charlotte, how we got to this point, what Charlotte needs to do to become a more sustainable city and what obstacles stand in the way of that happening.
The conversation with Binns actually started well before he showed up in the C5 Podcast Closet. When we book a podcast guest, we send a standard email that explains how to get to the office, where to park and the fact that we validate parking. Binns, who shares a car with his wife but mostly uses his bike and two feet to move around the city, said this contributes to the transportation problem in Charlotte.
“Would love if your directions included information about biking and transit to encourage visitors to think outside of the car!” he wrote back in an email. “We believe that changing behaviors around how Charlotteans travel begins with little things like this.”
Listen to this week’s podcast to see how he and his team are trying to change those behaviors, and why he thinks it’s important for a growing Charlotte.
Other things discussed on the podcast:
– The NCAA pulled championship events from North Carolina because of House Bill 2. You’ll want to hear producer Richard Brooke’s dramatic reading of the N.C. GOP response — and you’ll definitely want to hear Sarah Crosland’s passionate response.
– Yes, I actually hiked Crowder’s Mountain.
– Sarah had a busy weekend, visiting Rock Hill, Windy Hill Orchard, the new Goodwill Opportunity Campus and the new Lenny Boy Brewing Location.
– And, of course, what you should be doing this weekend.
The CharlotteFive Podcast — presented by The Charlotte Observer and powered by OrthoCarolina — is a weekly podcast that aims to get you Charlotte Smart, Fast with fun, interesting and useful news about the city. It’s hosted by Corey Inscoe and Sarah Crosland.
You can find The CharlotteFive Podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow us on Twitter @Charlotte_Five, on Instagram @cltfive, and on Facebook, and you can shoot us an email to charlottefive@charlottefive.com.
Photo: Davie Hinshaw/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published September 13, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "How Charlotte can become a more sustainable city -- and why that matters."