Goal 7
LIFELONG LEARNING, CARE AND ENRICHMENT FOR ALL
Support family and individual growth, learning, and well-being at all life stages.
BIG IDEA: Recognize childcare as an essential element of economic development
Why is This Important?
Countless opportunities for learning are available across Center City – from traditional classrooms, innovative labs and maker spaces to community-based programs and more. Cultural and civic institutions, including libraries, community centers and museums, offer resources for enrichment and exploration for all ages. And, as the economic hub of the region, Center City is also a rich source for job and career opportunities. Of course, not all schools are the same and not all residents have equitable access to resources that support wellbeing and learning. Addressing disparities in education, employment and earning potential is a fundamental aspect of the Vision Plan. This begins with ensuring all families have access to high-quality, affordable child- and elder care so that residents can advance their education or careers while family members receive high-quality care.
The next two decades present the opportunity to bring new areas of study like music and medicine, to Center City. Keeping home-grown talent in Charlotte while attracting and training the next generation of leaders will make sure the city’s workers are poised for personal achievement and participation in a healthy economy.
How Can We Achieve This?
STRATEGY 7A: MAKE CHILDCARE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE TO ALL FAMILIES
Charlotte has a serious shortage of childcare for working parents, and spaces that are available are often expensive and distant from a family’s home and job. A shortage of quality childcare is not just a household issue, it is an economic development issue, keeping people out of the workforce and limiting the pool of candidates employers have to choose from. This only became more evident as parents and guardians struggled with access to daycare during the early days of pandemic.
RECOMMENDATIONS
7a-1 Recognize childcare as an essential element of economic development efforts and work with employers to address childcare needs in their talent recruitment and retention programs.
7a-2 Work with partners like Childcare Resources to inventory, map and analyze childcare facilities and programs in Center City to inform strategies and actions.
7a-3 Include childcare facilities and/or funding through an ordinance that requires resources for childcare in developments of a certain scale or size.
7a-4 Locate childcare in or near mobility hubs in Center City and in large office and multifamily housing developments.
7a-5 Convene a working group of employers, parents, family representatives, and care providers to identify strategies to support accessible, affordable child, dependent and eldercare for families at all income levels. Address challenges including:
› Availability and affordability of space
› Requirements related to social distancing and safety
› Proximity of care facilities to job centers
› Staffing and wage challenges
› Access and transportation issues
› Retirement of care providers.
7a-6 Support outreach to and resources for protecting at-risk programs, with an emphasis on in-home care and independently owned childcare centers.
7a-7 Work with corporate partners to provide on-site or nearby childcare for employees, especially for lower-paying industries and those with swing and night shifts, such as hospitality.
7a-8 Encourage employers to enroll children in on-site centers from outside the company and neighborhood to support diversity.
7a-9 Make it easy for nighttime and other shift workers, such as those in the hospitality and medical professions working in Uptown and other Center City neighborhoods by providing affordable, 24-hour childcare centers.
STRATEGY 7B: STRENGTHEN AND ESTABLISH CENTER CITY SCHOOLS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY
Access to high-quality education is a key factor in career and economic success. A diverse and dynamic city should provide opportunity to learn and study in any and all subjects.
RECOMMENDATIONS
7b-1 Partner with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), the private sector, and philanthropic organizations to establish a Second Ward High School with a unique curriculum that targets underserved students aligned with business needs and partnerships.
7b-2 Establish a plan to provide sustained, free public Wi-Fi to underserved communities without interruption after pilot program or emergency funding is spent.
7b-3 Work with Atrium and Wake Forest University to establish a medical school in Center City with direct connections to Center City schools, businesses, and talent development programs to provide opportunities for medical research and bio-technology entrepreneurs to establish new business and create new jobs.
7b-4 Develop art, design and music schools in Center City, including expansions or extensions of local and/or nationally-known colleges and universities such as Johnson C. Smith, Queens University, CPCC and UNC Charlotte, potentially within mixed-use developments.
STRATEGY 7C: CREATE A STRONG, CONNECTED SYSTEM OF ARTS AND CULTURE EDUCATION, PROGRAMS AND PROFESSION
Music, arts and culture can enrich a person’s life and also become a career for many. Linking together working artists with students and supporting creative professionals will benefit all Charlotteans as well as support economic development and talent recruitment.
RECOMMENDATIONS
7c-1 Attract more arts and creative businesses to Center City by:
› Designating target areas for creative clusters in Center City neighborhoods
› Making space affordable for artists and arts organizations
› Increasing the visibility of the arts and commissions for artists of all types.
7c-2 Leverage successful programs, including the Charlotte Shout! festival, to create year-long music, art, food and culture programs, events and installations.
7c-3 Identify strategies to provide affordable studio, gallery and event spaces throughout Center City, such as:
› Including arts and culture spaces and/or funding in new public and private development
› Supporting non-traditional / short-term lease agreements
› Using vacant retail or other underutilized ground-floor space
› Reimagining portions of the Overstreet mall for studio spaces
› Establishing an artist-in-residence program businesses with underutilized office space
7c-4 Foster creative collaborations with local institutions to support and promote local artists.
7c-5 Expand and/or increase allocations to strengthen the percent-for-art ordinance to develop a permanent, dedicated stream of funding for local arts and culture.
7c-6 Implement the Music Ecosystem Study and Action Plan recommendations to develop music-based leadership and organization.
7c-7 Support connections between local professional artists and students to provide enhanced arts education, provide mentorship, and create a talent pipeline.
7c-8 Nurture, support and financially sustain small and large, authentically Charlotte arts and cultural organizations.
7c-9 Identify highly visible, low-cost ground-floor locations in Uptown for small home grown organizations such as The Light Factory, Clayworks, Latin American Contemporary Art (LACA), Latibah Collard Green Museum, and others.
7c-10 Facilitate the co-location of galleries and other arts-based businesses to improve their visibility and viability and to create a destination.
STRATEGY 7D: PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS TO EXPAND PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES AND CULTURES
Extending programs further into neighborhoods will help more Center City residents access resources close to home.
RECOMMENDATIONS
7d-1 Identify and expand successful programs, such as idea labs, within existing community facilities, including libraries and recreation centers.
7d-2 Partner with Discovery Place and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools to expand successful STEM education and programs throughout Center City neighborhoods including outdoor spaces and parks.
7d-3 Increase summer programming in Center City parks, particularly in underserved neighborhoods.
