Reporting on Growth and Open Space

About the Reporting on Growth and Open Space Program

Reporting on Growth and Open Space is a program of on-line resources for reporters, editors and other media professionals who report or editorialize on issues of growth and open space in their communities in the Carolinas. The program's focus is on the widening scope of environmental journalism as growth and open space issues increasingly intertwine with other public policy issues such as schools and roads, jobs and public health, governance and taxes. It is designed to yield resources and ideas for stories, while providing opportunities for journalists to learn from national leaders in environmental journalism and experts from government, business, academia, and non-profits. A series of nine topics are explored through seminars, interviews and panel discussions, and through an on-line Resource Manual.

This three-year program (2006-2008) is funded through a $225,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and reflects the Foundation's ongoing commitment to both journalism excellence and open space protection in the greater Charlotte region.

• Environmental Journalism

  This topic launched the Reporting on Growth and Open Space program in 2006 with a full-day seminar focused on the changing nature of environmental journalism as it has shifted from a narrowly-defined ecology beat to one that takes a more holistic approach and includes land use and related issues. The seminar also introduced some of the difficulties of defining open space and the challenges for journalists.

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• The Region and Open Space

  This topic explores regional attitudes towards open space and sense of place, and the implications in a rapidly growing region. A second full-day seminar unveiled the results of the 2006 Regional Survey on Growth and Open Space, along with a presentation on the region’s projected future. It also included case studies in advocacy versus informational reporting, a video documentary of rural voices on open space and sense of place, and guided discussion of the political nature of language in regional issues.

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• Land Use

  For the second year of the program, one-hour web-cast panel discussions replaced day-long seminars. The first panel discussion explored the issues of land use regulation and private property rights. These issues are often difficult to resolve as communities grow, and challenging for journalists to cover. The moderator, guest journalist, and panelists engaged in a thoughtful discussion to break down these complex issues and uncover common ground as well as sources of conflict. The panel discussion was web-cast live and recorded for downloading.

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• Agriculture

  This topic explores the connections between agriculture as an important part of our regional economy and agriculture as a form of open space and way of life. A panel discussion focused on perceptions and realities of “the new agriculture” in our region, and how it relates to our changing concepts of growth and open space.

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• Journalists' Roundtables

  New to the Reporting on Growth and Open Space Program in 2008 are Journalists’ Roundtable discussions and luncheons with co-authors of the 1995 Peirce Report on the Charlotte region, nationally-syndicated columnist Neal Peirce and his co-principal at the Citistates Group, Curtis Johnson.

  Journalists' Roundtable

• Air Quality and Water Resources

  The first of five topics dealing with the connection of growth & open space issues with other civic issues, this one deals with air quality and water resource issues. There are obvious environmental impacts of land development and conversion of open space, but there are also social and economic dimensions to the changes brought by population growth. Under this topic, the Resource Manual explores themes such as air quality ?non-attainment? designation and respiratory health problems, storm water runoff pollutants and strategies for mitigating development impacts. Podcast and vodcast interviews include local and state experts on air quality and water resource issues, plus National Public Radio environmental journalist Dale Willman.

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• Government and Public Services

  This topic will examine how growth and open space issues interconnect with and influence the public sector and its provision of public services at the local level. Specifically, how do population growth, demographic change, physical land development and conversion of open space impact local tax revenues, the cost of providing public services (including regulatory enforcement), the kinds of services needed and how they are provided? Also covered will be impacts on civic engagement, participation in public processes and regional cooperation.

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• Business and Economy

  This topic will explore how growth and open space issues relate to the economy and business. In particular, how do population growth, demographic change, physical land development and conversion of open space impact economic development, business and workforce recruiting, and the region?s agricultural economy?

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• Heritage and Culture

  This topic will look at local heritage and culture through the lens of growth and open space issues. Sub-topics include the arts, regional history and traditions, local sense of place and regional identity. Also covered will be connections to religion and stewardship.

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• Community Well-Being

  This topic will focus on the impacts of growth and open space conservation or conversion on issues on public health and safety, education, and that elusive intangible, social capital.

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