Intro to Local Growth Politics
Research Triangle Park: Mechanism for Raleigh-Durham’s Development
The Research Triangle Park, a collaboration of government, industry and the three local universities (UNC, Duke, and NC State), has been the catalyst for the development of the Raleigh-Durham area, providing over 30,000 people with jobs and attracting other businesses to the area.
Park History
The park was founded in 1958 after state government officials decided that the area between the three universities can be a good area for research and economic development. Things developed slowly until the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and IBM decided to locate in the park in 1965, giving the area name recognition. The park developed rapidly after that, especially during the tech boom of the 1990s.
Regional Development
The growth of the park has been a source of growth for the entire area; areas such as South Durham and Cary have grown from rural areas into large suburban areas. The area is often considered the best place to live in the country, with an above average per-capita income and high concentrations of people with advanced degrees. Problems have arisen from the area's growth, such as urban sprawl, heavy rush-hour traffic and the loss of rural spaces like farmland.
The Future of the RTP
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The RTP area has mostly recovered from the dot-com bust and continues to grow, though not at the rate of the 1990s. There seems to be a new emphasis on high-density development; a new rail line is about to be constructed, and the Research Triangle Foundation is working with a developer to create the Triangle Metro Center, a high-density development with retail and residential space near the new rail line and a luxury hotel. It remains to be seen whether this will lead to the RTP area becoming a dense urban core for the area.