The Policy Map Manual presents all information about Place Types, the mapping process, and how to amend/update Place Type designations on the map. It provides detail and supporting graphics to help articulate the aspirational characteristics of each Place Type and how they are applied geographically.
What is the Policy Map?
The Charlotte Future 2040 Policy Map is a companion to the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan, translating the plan’s place-based policies (Place Types) to specific geographies across the city in order to guide appropriate development patterns according to the City’s growth strategy. The Policy Map may be used by residents, business owners, developers, City staff, and elected or appointed officials.
What are Place Types?
Place Types are a classification system that provides guidance on intended future development patterns. The collection of place types and how they are arranged in the Policy Map promotes the evolution of “complete communities,” where residents can access daily goods, services, amenities, and jobs within close proximity to their homes. There are 10 distinct Place Types, each of which provides details about intended land uses, character, building design, mobility, and open space. A summary of each Place Type is included on the relevant plans, policies & regulations page.
How is the Policy Map Used?
The Policy Map identifies the type and intensity of development that is appropriate throughout the city and is used in multiple decision-making processes, such as future zoning decisions and capital investments.
How is the Policy Map Updated?
The Policy Map can be amended through three different processes: Planning-Related Updates, Minor Map Amendments, and Major Map Amendments. Each process is explained below.
How was the Policy Map Created?
A mapping methodology was created to apply the Place Types to different geographies across the city. These spatial Place Type designations were then refined through extensive community conversations.
How Place Types Relate to Zoning Regulations
The Charlotte Future 2040 Place Types, and Policy Map and the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and Zoning Map were developed together to create a strong connection between the community’s vision and its regulatory tools that help make the vision a reality. Zoning districts provide the specific development standards (i.e. rules) required for development at a specific site location, such as permitted building height, required lot size, setbacks, and permitted uses. Zoning district standards provide more specificity than the Place Types so there are more Zoning districts than Place Types. Each Place Type corresponds with one or more Zoning districts within the UDO, which are then spatially aligned on the Zoning Map to reflect the location of specific Place Types on the Policy Map.
Zoning districts are applied in a context-sensitive manner to provide appropriate transitions between different development intensities, which is why multiple Zoning districts may be found within an area mapped with one Place Type.
Place Type
A block on the Charlotte Future 2040 Policy Map is mapped as Neighborhood 2 Place Type
Zoning
Individual properties on this block must correspond with Neighborhood 2 Residential Zoning Districts including N2-A; N2-B; N2-C.
Table 1: Place Types & Permitted UDO Zoning Districts
| Parks & Preserves | Neighborhood 1 | Neighborhood 2 | Commercial | Campus | Innovation Mixed Use | Manufacturing and Logistics | Neighborhood Center | Community Activity Center | Regional Activity Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| All districts permitted | 6 Districts N1-A N1-B N1-C N1-D N1-E N1-F | 3 Districts N2-A N2-B N2-C | 2 Districts General Commercial Regional Commercial | 5 Districts IC-1 IC-2 RC-1 OFC OG | 3 Districts IMU | 2 Districts ML-1 ML-2 | 5 Districts NC | 6 Districts CAC-1 CAC-2 | 7 Districts RAC Urban Core Urban Edge |
| Transit Oriented Development TOD-NC TOD-TR | Transit Oriented Development TOD-TR TOD-NC TOD-CC TOD-UC |
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Table 2: Place Type Adjacencies & Zoning Transitions
| Parks & Preserves | Neighborhood 1 | Neighborhood 2 | Commercial | Campus | Innovation Mixed Use | Manufacturing and Logistics | Neighborhood Center | Community Activity Center | Regional Activity Center |
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How the Policy Map is Updated
The Policy Map was adopted in 2022, but it is expected to evolve over time as the community changes. Future updates may reflect a refined community vision, changing market conditions, significant public or private investments, or the need to accommodate additional growth. While there is a process for community members to request specific changes to the Policy Map, the following guidelines ensure that these requests are processed carefully and consistently, with the knowledge that the adopted Policy Map was informed by extensive analysis and community input to support the community’s vision and promote overall development compatibility. The Policy Map can be amended through three different processes, described below.
Planning-Related Updates
Future planning efforts—such as an update to the Comprehensive Plan, Community Area Plans, or other Specific Plans—may lead to amendments or updates to place-based policies, which should be reflected in updates to the Policy Map. A comprehensive Policy Map update shall be completed triennially in alignment with the Metrolina Regional Growth Model updates. Planning-related updates to the Policy Map should involve extensive community engagement, particularly for directly affected stakeholders. Other key considerations and components for this process include:
- Growth control totals should also be checked.
- Place Type changes should generally involve density increases, not decreases.
- Changes should ensure that future development will accommodate growth projections.
- Methodologies and outcomes should be carefully documented, both in planning documents and as they relate to Policy Map updates.
- Smaller, more specific place-based policy updates through Community Area Plans or Specific Plans (i.e. not through a Comprehensive Plan update or comprehensive Policy Map update) should be applied to the Policy Map in annual “batch” update processes, rather than individual updates throughout a given year.
Minor Map Amendments
Minor Policy Map Amendments result from requested changes proposed by the community, City departments or boards, or by City Council. These proposals shall be submitted through the City’s Rezoning Application, which are reviewed, analyzed, and decided by the Rezoning Team and follow the standard rezoning process. Minor Map Amendments may also include corrections due to data or human error that align with the original Policy Map methodology.
Is the change consistent with the Place Type Minor Amendment Criteria?
Does the change implement the goals of the Comprehensive Plan?
Change is considered a “MINOR” amendment.
Table 3: Minor Map Amendment Criteria
The criteria outlined in Table 3 represent the metrics used in the mapping methodology to assign Place Type designations in the Policy Map. These criteria provide a consistent basis for evaluating amendments to the Policy Map, whether through planning-related updates or through rezonings. As noted on page 37, Minor Map Amendments can be requested by the public, City departments, or City Council as part of the rezoning process. Such requests will be reviewed against the Table 3 criteria for additional consideration in determining compatiblity with the vision and goals of the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The criteria is not an exhaustive list and additional factors, such as site-specific conditions, context of the area, capital investments, and changes in development patterns, may be considered when reviewing rezonings.
| Requested Place Type | Minimum Acreage Preferred (Includes adjacent parcels of the same Place Type) | Preferred Place Type Adjacencies | Locational Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood 1 (N1) | 5 contiguous parcels | N2; NAC; CAMP; PP | All Required:
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| Neighborhood 2 (N2) | 2-4 acres* *2 acres may be appropriate for infill sites within ½ mile walkshed of high-capacity transit and 1/4 to 1/2 mile of an Activity Center. Regardless of the proposed acreage, additional contextual, locational, and site-specific factors will also be considered. | N1; NAC; CAC; RAC; COMM; CAMP; IMU; PP | All considered:
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| Commercial (COMM) | 10 acres | N2; CAC; RAC; CAMP; IMU; ML | All Required:
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| Campus (CAMP) | 7 acres | N1; N2; NAC; CAC; RAC; IMU; COMM | Required:
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| Manufacturing & Logistics (ML) | 10 acres | IMU; COMM | All Required:
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| Innovation Mixed Use (IMU) | 5 acres | N2; NAC;CAC; RAC; CAMP; ML | Required:
Encouraged:
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| Neighborhood Center (NAC) | 5 acres | N1; N2; CAMP; IMU; CAC; PP | Required:
Encouraged:
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| Community Activity Center (CAC) | 20 acres | N2; CAMP; IMU; NAC;RAC; COMM; PP | Required:
Must also meet one requirement below:
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| Regional Activity Center (RAC) | 100 acres | N2; CAMP; IMU; CAC; COMM; PP | Must meet one requirement:
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| Parks & Preserves (PP) | 10 acres | N1; N2; NAC; CAC; RAC | Encouraged:
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Major Map Amendments
Major Map Amendments result from requested changes proposed by the community, City departments or boards, or by City Council. These proposals may be requested as part of the rezoning process, but require a separate application, which are reviewed, analyzed, and decided by the City’s Long Range Planning and Entitlement Services Teams as well as a special review by the Planning Committee. Major Map Amendment proposals are reviewed per the considerations outlined in Table X. If proposed during the development of a Community Area Plan, the Policy Map amendment process will be folded into the planning process for the applicable geography(ies). If accepted, Major Map Amendments may require updated growth projections.
Is the change considered a “Minor Amendment”?
Reviewed by Long Range Planning and Entitlement Services Teams
Planning Committee Public Hearing and Recommendation
City Council Decision
Table 4: Major Amendment Criteria
| Place Type Major Amendment Criteria | ||
|---|---|---|
| Major amendment scenario | Applicable Charlotte future 2040 Comprehensive Plan goals | Evaluation criteria |
| Increasing* intensity and not adhering to the preferred adjacencies (as outlined in Minor Map Amendment Criteria). *Increasing intensity means permitted additional uses or increased density of a Place Type | Determine which goals are most applicable for each scenario Or which goals may compete with one another in each scenario (e.g. Neighborhood Diversity/Inclusion & Resilient Economic Opportunities) | The Long Range Planning Division (LRP) Team will evaluate major amendment requests according to the criteria outlined below and submit a final report and recommendation to the Planning Committee. The Rezoning Team will support the LRP’s analysis by providing information about rezoning history and existing entitlements within the area in question. The Planning Committee will hold a public comment for major amendments and submit a recommendation to City Council. Considerations:
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| Permitting residential units in non-residential Place Type (e.g. requesting multi-family in ML petition or project) | ||
| Amending residential to non-residential Place Type | ||
| Decreasing intensity (removing required uses or lowering density of Place Type) | ||