Raleigh rethinks how to grow as flooding, heat and traffic worsen

Cranes dot the skyline. New
apartments rise where parking lots once stood. And on Raleigh’s edges, farmland
is giving way to cul-de-sacs and shopping centers.

This city is growing faster
than almost anywhere else in the country. Wake County adds dozens of new
residents every day, drawn by jobs, schools, and a lower cost of living than
other major metros. But as development accelerates, so do the growing pains —
more flooding, heavier traffic, and fewer trees to cool a warming city.

City planners are now
rewriting Raleigh’s Comprehensive
Plan, a 20-year roadmap for how and where the city will grow. The update
aims to keep up with population growth while addressing climate risks and
infrastructure limits.

“We’re thinking about how to
manage growth sustainably and fairly,” said Sarah Shaughnessy, a principal
planner with Raleigh’s Planning and Development Department. “We also have to
think about the environment and the changes that are coming, and how they’ll
affect people living here.”

The planning team recently
finished a yearlong round of community meetings, where residents voiced concern
about flooding, traffic congestion, and the loss of green space. Many said the
city’s infrastructure simply isn’t keeping up.

“There are always tradeoffs
in planning,” Shaughnessy said. “When you’re planning for a city of nearly half
a million people, you really have to balance all different perspectives.”

That balance often comes down
to how land is used. The new plan prioritizes density along major corridors —
building upward instead of outward — to preserve more green space and reduce
long commutes.

“If we can make transit more
accessible and promote mixed-use development so people have the option of
living near a grocery store or where they work, that means fewer cars on the
road and fewer emissions,” Shaughnessy said.

Real estate experts say that
shift toward walkable neighborhoods and smart growth could also help ease the
housing crunch.

“There’s a lot of focus on
walkable communities,” said Craig Foley, chief sustainability officer for
Lamacchia Realty and a member of the National Association of Realtors’
executive committee. “Communities that have different opportunities to deal
with housing needs, housing costs, and affordability. That’s where sustainable
growth and economic health meet.”

Still, some lawmakers worry
the pace of development is outstripping the city’s ability to keep up.

Representative Cynthia Ball,
who serves North Carolina House District 49 in Wake County, said her
constituents are already feeling the strain.

“Our infrastructure is
outdated,” Ball said. “Some of that’s from a federal perspective, some from the
state, and some from the municipality. We need to think carefully about where
and how we build.”

Ball said cities should avoid
permitting new construction in harm’s way. “We need not to be building in the
floodplains just because we need the houses,” she said. “We just shouldn’t.”

Raleigh planners say they’re
incorporating climate data and new mapping tools to guide development more
strategically. Shaughnessy, who grew up in Raleigh, said she hopes the new plan
will help the city grow in a way that is both equitable and resilient.

“It’s a rare opportunity to
plan for the next generation of people who will live in Raleigh,” she said.
“How Raleigh is changing now, how it will continue to change, and how we can
build a city that is green and fair for everyone, so that everyone can thrive.”