It wasn’t long into our interview before the conversation got really interesting: “I’ve lived in places that weren’t growing. You don’t want that. It’s sad, actually…” stated our guest Bart Landess, The Executive Director of the Catawba Lands Conservancy and The Carolina Thread Trail. You wouldn’t think our greatest supporter would be a conservationist, but growth and conservation can be complimentary. This all plays into his greatest hope, that we can preserve natural spaces that keep our region beautiful and our people healthy, and it also made plain that conservationists understand municipal growth as much or more than anyone. And that, when planned properly, with an eye for keeping open space accessible, growth can be a very positive thing. “Most folks who are into conservation are big fans of density, because if you have a denser development, it means you can leave green space, and still have the same number of units.”

As we chatted about the planning history of Charlotte, the ‘how we got here’ narrative that fits for most cities that grew quickly in the 20th century, we learned how we shifted from necessary small clusters of homes and businesses with everything close by and lots of parks, to car-centric housing developments that lack essential amenities like grocers and parks because it was assumed that homeowners would drive to get to them. It is a perspective REBIC is excited to share with you, and we were proud to have Bart in the booth. After you listen, we hope you’ll share this episode because Bart is a great asset to our community. And loves to help offer insight and guidance about the transformative powers of open space.

Bart Landess feels like this career is his calling. Originally from Virginia, he spent his childhood on his grandparents’ farms, working in construction, hiking, camping, trail running, even spelunking (really!). With an idyllic summer mixed in, where he worked in a state park renovating old trails. As Bart happily regales stories and shares facts, you feel smarter and happier about dirt in general. And you feel this urge to find shoes you can get dirty so you can walk a trail with him, instead of being stuck in a studio. But then because he’s so full of facts you don’t want to forget, you are glad the record button is ‘on.’ For instance, do you know what a Paw Paw fruit is? Had you considered that Charlotte’s native forests long, long ago were not pine, that pine was planted for the pulp industry? And did you know that Mountain Island Lake provides drinking water for 10% of North Carolina’s citizens? Yeah…where are my hiking shoes?

A little bit more about Bart, he arrived in Charlotte to attend Davidson College as a young man and began practicing law in Charlotte in 1986 with Smith Helms Mulliss and Moore. Going on to work at Davidson College from 1990-1999, then progressing on to the Foundation for the Carolinas for 10 years, he was also with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte from 2010-2019 before coming to Catawba Lands Conservancy and Carolina Thread Trail. When asked to summarize the mission he represents, he shares, “At CLC and CTT, we stress the enhancement to quality of life and health that comes from natural spaces and trails, and work now to assure that, as we double in size in the next 30 years, those values are preserved for future generations and our region remains a beautiful and wonderful place to live and work.”

Listen to and share this amazing podcast!