And speaking of BET, here’s the network’s rundown of the most African-American friendly cities. With Charlotte at the top.

Before the Uptown crowd gets too happy, note what BET says about what makes Charlotte so attractive:

Charlotte has a low cost of living index (91.8 percent; the national average is 100); a relatively high African- American homeownership rate (50 percent); low average housing prices ($159,900); low in-state college tuition ($4063); a Black poverty rate of 20 percent – among the lowest of cities studied; relatively low Black unemployment (13 percent); and a decent African-American median household income of $33,665. Some 19 percent of Black Charlotteans have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

So once again, just like that Business Week survey that put Matthews among the best suburbs in the country, cost of living, particularly the cost of housing, is at the top of the reasons why BET likes Charlotte. It should be obvious, but people of all races, creeds, and colors really, really, really like to live well.

kkBut it is the official policy of local government, certainly the city of Charlotte, to increase the cost of living through ever-higher taxes and a lack of government spending restraint.

Meanwhile, city planning director Debra Campbell is explicitly following a Smart Growth roadmap, which has as a major goal an increase in the price of housing, which is thought to reduce “sprawl.” There is also a determined local push to increase the cost of housing directly via impact fees or a real estate transfer tax.

Here then is a fun one to kick around: Smart Growth is racist.