The North Carolina Global Transpark

A Brief History from the Regional Planning Perspective

Abstract

The North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP) recently attracted Spirit AeroSystems, contracted to build the fuselage panels for the Airbus A350, to the underutilized facility at Kinston. With it 11,500-foot runway, access to the North Carolina State Ports by rail, the 2,000 acres of land, and training facilities, the GTP proved to be the appropriate site for the company. Its location between several military air bases is an additional advantage. For seventeen years, it has been the source of frustration for the state, and many have called it a "boondoggle." Recently developments appear to suggest a promising future, if somewhat different from its original purpose. It is appropriate at this point, to review the theoretical foundations of the GTP concepts and the history of its implementation. The facility was plagued from the outset with public relations missteps, intersectional discord, and unrelenting criticism. However, demographic factors associated with the thirteen counties of the former Global TransPark Development Zone (now North Carolina's Eastern Region) have made the site less attractive to the type of manufacturers the planners intended to attract. These factors include a low percentage of resident college graduates in proportion to those with less than a high school education, and low population density compared to the state's metropolitan counties. Regardless of the potential success of the GTP, the region requires greater access to educational opportunities for its overall preparation for future economic development.