Charlotte is booming. New towers rise, new residents arrive and the city’s economic engine hums. But beneath the growth, some longtime residents ask a deeper question: What has been lost along the way?

In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, host Steve Dunn talks with Robert FitzPatrick — a Charlotte native, longtime community organizer and nationally known expert on pyramid schemes and consumer fraud, and author of “Charlotte: Searching for Soul in a Booming Southern City.”

FitzPatrick explores what he means by “soul” — a city’s sense of place, identity and shared ownership — and argues that Charlotte’s singular focus on economic growth has come at a cost. From the destruction of Brooklyn in the 1960s to battles over Freedom Park, FitzPatrick traces how commercial priorities have shaped, and sometimes overshadowed, civic life.

We hope you enjoy the conversation with Robert FitzPatrick. To learn more about “Charlotte: Searching for Soul in a Booming Southern City," click here.

This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks. Visit TheCharlotteLedger.com to learn more.

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