South Corridor Land Uses
Land uses along the light rail corridor are mixed. Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning has developed Station Area Plans for land use around the Light Rail stations.

Below is a history of the various areas and how the land was used prior to the Corridor improvements.

South Charlotte Area
In the Charlotte area of the corridor, suburban land uses are prevalent and include large industrial parks, sprawling residential subdivisions, concentrations of regional commercial development along major roadways as well as most of the South Corridor's undeveloped land. 

Planning has developed the South Boulevard/I-485 Plan.

New Bern/Tyvola Area
The middle section of the corridor, generally from New Bern Street south to Tyvola Road, runs through an area of the city that was primarily developed in the 1950-to- early 1970's. 

The area's characteristics include commercial strip development along South Boulevard and light industrial and warehousing/ manufacturing uses concentrated in older industrial parks west of South Boulevard. 

Residential uses dominate the land use east of South Boulevard behind fronting commercial properties and are also concentrated in several locations along S. Tryon Street which parallels the rail corridor 0.3 mi. to the west. 

Planning has developed the Scaleybark Land Use Plan and the New Bern Station Area Plan.

South End Area
The South End area of the corridor also includes the former warehouse and manufacturing district located between Tremont Avenue and I-277, immediately south of the Center City Area. The existing rail corridor bisects the South End, which is currently undergoing intense mixed-use redevelopment activities oriented to South Boulevard and the rail corridor.

Planning has developed the South End Station Area Plan.

Center City Area
The Center City Portion portion of the corridor includes Uptown Charlotte, the City's central business district, which is characterized by high-rise office, commercial development, and many of the region's major attractions and venues. The Center City Area also includes established and emerging residential uses. 

Land Use and Station Area Planning
The primary goal of land use planning in Charlotte is to transform unfocused development patterns in corridors and wedges to compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development along corridors and in station areas. The intent of the work is to define land use plans that are supportive of transit and compatible with adjacent neighborhoods.