Most of the growth in North Carolina spreads outward from thestate'slargest metropolitan areas, where three out of every fournew residents moved in the past decade. Charlotte, Raleigh andGreensboro are three of the cities that are experiencing growingpains not felt by most other residentsof the state, the reportnotes.

Today, Charlotte and Raleigh have the Southeast's most expensivehousing andsome of the dirtiest air in the country. Both arebuilding highways aroundthe city as a way of relieving traffic andenvironmental problems. Manyobservers consider these efforts futileand a waste of state funds. The report calls for greater spendingon public transit and preserving openspace.

In the Charlotte region, the number of miles commuters traveleach day andthe amount of fuel wasted in traffic congestion morethan doubled in the last decade, according to the study.