Thank God for Charlotte's past leaders and their use of foresight. Could you imagine Charlotte today; being stuck in the past but without the natural draw of other quaint southern cities like Charleston, Savannah even Wilmington? Don't get me wrong; I love those cities. Charleston's history should never change. Savannah is the best place for St. Patrick's day. Wilmington is a great beach town. I love them for what they are not too. They are not the big city meccas of the South yet they draw a constant crowd of tourists season after season. Charlotte never had what they had, tourists attractions. Charlotte needed to change. It truly was "Do or Die" for Charlotte. Charlotte could have very easily been left in the antiquated past while other cities passed us by. How would our state look today; where Raleigh is the biggest city? Winston Salem is the home of our NFL team; Greensboro the home of our NBA team? How long would your drive to Carowinds be if it were in Columbia, SC? 50 years later, Charlotte has become the National city they could barely envision; we would be wise to show our appreciation. Charlotte would not be the giant city it is today, without those giant thinkers of the past.
On September 23, 1974, a city council proclamation declared that the shopping and business district in the center city be officially named 'Uptown Charlotte.' The push for this came from local merchant and booster, Jack Wood. Wood argued that Uptown name was in use in the 50s and needed to be restored.
Thank God for Charlotte's past leaders and their use of foresight.
Could you imagine Charlotte today; being stuck in the past but without the natural draw of other quaint southern cities like Charleston, Savannah even Wilmington? Don't get me wrong; I love those cities. Charleston's history should never change. Savannah is the best place for St. Patrick's day. Wilmington is a great beach town. I love them for what they are not too. They are not the big city meccas of the South yet they draw a constant crowd of tourists season after season. Charlotte never had what they had, tourists attractions. Charlotte needed to change. It truly was "Do or Die" for Charlotte.
Charlotte could have very easily been left in the antiquated past while other cities passed us by. How would our state look today; where Raleigh is the biggest city? Winston Salem is the home of our NFL team; Greensboro the home of our NBA team? How long would your drive to Carowinds be if it were in Columbia, SC?
50 years later, Charlotte has become the National city they could barely envision; we would be wise to show our appreciation. Charlotte would not be the giant city it is today, without those giant thinkers of the past.
What did the leaders do? It was important businessman like Hugh McColl CEO of Bank of America who helped charlotte grow into a big city.
Love 22:27 where Atlanta city planner is saying Atlanta can now compete with the likes of Cleveland.
Wow! Look at Charlotte back then. It was busy!
Looks like we missed out on the zoo and gardens. They did much of this, and by the late 1970s and early 1980s there wasn't much to do downtown.
It was lots to do I was born in 1981 I remember the square with retail stores belks etc.
Interesting to hear discussion on retail in Uptown in the mid-1960s. Suburban malls pretty much sucked all the retail out in the '70s and '80s.
What kind of car the old master planner AG Odell was driving in his tour of downtown ?
They really should have modulated the audio a little more. lol RIP headphone users.
2.2M for "urban renewal package".......
Beautiful Southern accents that you don't hear anymore.
That Hammer guy was prophetic
wow !! This is the way the city was when I grew up....not a big population. My father worked for Mr. Odell
Why would this be called Uptown Do or Die, when that term is not used in the video once, and didn't come to be until the 1980s?
On September 23, 1974, a city council proclamation declared that the shopping and business district in the center city be officially named 'Uptown Charlotte.' The push for this came from local merchant and booster, Jack Wood. Wood argued that Uptown name was in use in the 50s and needed to be restored.