Equity and the Battle for the Soul of Charlotte
Equity is a key goal of the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Many of the policies and strategies in the plan are unified around that goal. In the second draft plan’s own words, “Equity is, in a sense, what we owe to each other: a fundamental part of our social contract that recognizes the inherent value of every Charlotte resident, actively works for justice and equality of opportunity in our City, and treats every person with dignity.”
Over the past week, dueling memos from City of Charlotte staff concerning the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan have provided a window into the perennial battle for the soul of the Queen City, one that isn’t often fought in public. It boils down to one question: equity or economics?
The economic side believes, generally, that a rising tide lifts all boats, and that anything that is perceived to get in the way of economic growth is bad. The equity side of the conversation believes that approach doesn’t address growing inequality, a skyrocketing cost of living, structural and institutional racism, the lack of social mobility in Charlotte, and myriad other problems.
While the debate is not a new one, it’s rare to see an internal memo from Charlotte’s city government that is brazenly dismissive of equity as a policy goal. The memo from the Economic Development Department to the Planning, Design, and Development Department recommends the elimination of community benefit agreements in the Comprehensive Plan, as well as the removal of a proposal to direct half of Charlotte’s future infrastructure spending to neighborhoods and communities that have historically been denied investment. The latter policy is part of “Goal 10: Fiscally Responsible” in the plan, one of the least talked about parts of the plan, but one of the most important in my opinion.
In many ways, these are the two biggest equity components of the Comprehensive Plan, but the city’s Assistant City Manager for Economic Development Tracy Dodson wants them gone: “If the city directs at least half of public infrastructure spending over next [sic] 20 years to select communities, we will be limited in our ability to successfully establish public-private partnerships throughout the city.”
Not surprisingly, equity was a large part of Planning Director Taiwo Jaiyeoba’s response to the Economic Development memo: “There is nothing in this Plan that discourages business retention and/or recruitment. With this Plan, Charlotte will continue to be a great place to do business while providing the diversity of housing that we need to keep employees and residents in place. The policies in this comprehensive plan strengthen our position to do it in a more equitable manner.”
To be clear — the Economic Development Department would remove key equity policies from Charlotte’s Comprehensive Plan. This is just the latest of many last-minute attempts by leaders in the real estate and development community to kill the Comprehensive Plan, and their opposition boils down to a worldview that sees equity policies in opposition to economic development — even though, strategically, the memo from the Economic Development Department opposing the plan never mentions equity. Like many of these Hail Marys, the timing is suspicious — did the Economic Development Department not have these concerns when the first plan was released back in October?
If the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan fails to pass this month, it will be a major setback for equity goals in the plan like community benefit agreements and equitable infrastructure spending in vulnerable neighborhoods. While in all fairness I agree with the Economic Development Department’s request that there are no height restrictions on buildings in Uptown — “density is the benefit,” as many have said — it’s a small issue in comparison to the fight for equity. Even the long fight over policy 2.1 — the duplex and triplex issue — is much less important in the long run than Charlotte fully embracing equity as a policy goal, and turning that into action.
I believe that every civic injustice incurs a debt that at some point must be repaid. Equity, justice, and action are the ways to repay that debt, and that is why they are such a big part of the Comprehensive Plan. Now is the time to win the battle for the soul of Charlotte, and we start by passing this plan.
