North Charleston, long a poster child of haphazard growth in the Lowcountry, has embarked on an ambitious long-term plan to create a landscape similar to the high-rise necklace of little cities draped around downtown Atlanta.
A key component of North Charleston's long-term plan is the development of the surrounding neighborhoods, such as the Park Circle area, into smaller cities - much like Atlanta's suburbs. If successful, this hub-based growth strategy could transform struggling neighborhoods, reduce transportation costs and help knit a new identity for the sprawling city of more than 85,000 residents.
And, as other tri-county areas face similar growth-related issues, North Charleston's approach could serve as a model for future development in Summerville, Moncks Corner, Goose Greek and other areas along the fast-growing Interstate 26 corridor.
North Charleston's "little cities" strategy is a key component of its comprehensive plan for growth.
Communities across the area are rewriting or updating their 10-year plans, a requirement under state law.
North Charleston is ahead of the pack. It recently approved its plan, and on Friday, City Council will hold a daylong workshop on how to put it into effect.
"Multiple nucleoid growth," North Charleston Planning Director Bill Gore said with a nod, using a biochemistry term to describe what's going on in the state's third largest city. "If you've got something that's 70-something square miles, it makes sense that you have multiple hubs."
