Why A Free Market and New Ideas Lead to Better Solutions for City Planning with Doug Welton, Chairman of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Comission

Thinking outside the box doesn’t aptly describe the way Douglas Welton, Chairman of the Planning Commission for Charlotte/Mecklenburg, approaches the idea of change. For him, he doesn’t even see a box. He sees an open landscape of ideas, opinions, and solutions just waiting to be deconstructed and rebuilt into something new. Professionally he boasts a strong background that ratifies his claims. As the Chief Product Officer at einstein’s legacy v2.0, a company that creates innovative software products for Apple users in the media and video arena, he’s used to viewing problems as teaching moments. In fact, when one visits his website, Douglas describes himself as possessing “…strong leadership for cross-functional teams that enables the creation of winning products, enhances productivity, and ensures the delivery of predictable, measurable results.” He goes on to say he is a “…Prolific idea generator with an adept editorial sense for producing simple, effective, and elegant solutions. Exceptional communication skills that engage and influence team members, executive management, clients, and the media through the many technical, financial, aesthetic, and emotional elements of creating extraordinary products.”

We’re in. Who needs a box anyway?

After a fun lighting round that opened some fun personal dialog, this episode started digging deep into the issues Charlotte faces today with growth and policymakers searching for the best way to stay ahead of future problems. He believes it will take more than just following old ideas to move us forward successfully. It will take trust between policymakers and developers, and an atmosphere where everyone is free to ask, “why?” Among the subjects broached were how he sees the UDO changing and better aligning itself with real-world development needs for which he replied that he welcomes people coming in and really tearing deeply into the language and structure of the document. We told him REBIC is all in!

As we ended this episode, we couldn’t resist asking him about a quote on his website that states, “When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take a step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on or we will be taught to fly.” His explanation for this quote? That in the end, there is always something solid for us to stand on. We just have to believe it is there. 

*****

His concrete responsibilities as Planning Commissioner include providing advice and affirmation on long range growth, land use, urban design, transportation, and recommendations for capital projects and sale of real property. Major policy and ordinance initiatives include Charlotte’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, the associated 2040 Policy Map, and the Unified Development Ordinance. He is also a member of the Executive Committee.