Policy & Data

urbanCORE’s Policy & Research arm connects data and research to tangible action that helps researchers and community leaders achieve social impact and policy change. Drawing upon the more than 50-year legacy of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, researchers and graduate students equip faculty, students and community practitioners to access, interpret and apply relevant data to address critical issues and policies. Lori Thomas is the Executive Director of the Urban Institute and the Charlotte Regional Trust Data.

Key Initiatives

✔ The Charlotte Regional Data Trust and Quality of Life Explorer data platforms help community practitioners make data-informed decisions and foster research to deepen understanding of complex community issues. Managed by the Urban Institute and its Charlotte Regional Data Trust, the Integrated Data System is benefitting from a $4 million upgrade, funded by UNC Charlotte and community investors, to improve access and support for community practitioners, researchers and students, and to expand the number of data partners and sources.

✔ The Urban Institute’s Gambrell Faculty Fellows program, with support from the Gambrell Foundation, funds projects to research issues related to economic mobility in the Charlotte region. Founded in 2018, the program has supported 16 projects by 28 Fellows, and the program is selecting its fourth cohort of faculty fellows. ✔ We’ve enhanced the insight from the Urban Institute’s annual City Walks with the internal reach of the City Tours sponsored by our former department of Community Relations. The result is a schedule of more than a dozen City Walks, which take place each spring in April and May. Through these in-person and virtual events, both community residents and Charlotte faculty have a chance to gain a greater understanding of Charlotte neighborhoods.