In 2016, Green Hope junior Ipsi Vasipalli (‘25) moved to North Carolina – one of the 322,000 people who did so that year, marking the beginning of an explosion in the popularity of the Research Triangle Park, a metropolitan area famed for its proximity to numerous corporations and well-known colleges. The state’s population continues to proliferate today, currently at around 10.9 million people, a steep increase from previous years.

“In the last seven years, the amount of people moving to Cary, NC has been crazy. Even though [the pandemic] did slow down this growth, the Triangle has shown no signs of stopping,” said Vasipalli, noting that the new development brought about the growth of new schools, community centers, and other businesses. “You can definitely see this increase with how many new schools and neighborhoods are being developed nowadays, like the one right in between Green Hope and West Regional Library.” 

As population numbers continue to increase, some are concerned regarding the potential implications of such rapid growth. 

“As great as it is to see so many people moving to the Triangle who all have a lot to contribute to our industries there seems to be problems arising with [the] housing,” said Vasipalli.

Vasipalli refers to runoff of stormwater over construction sites, which can pick up sediment and debris and empty them into reservoirs or other bodies of water, causing detriment to local ecosystems.

Many have pointed to the importance of sustainable options in transportation, shopping and eating that could help mitigate environmental degradation. “With growing populations, there will also be increased air pollution, as most people in Cary own cars,” she said. “We do have a public transport system, GoCary, but it is largely unused. GoCary is also not very accessible in some areas.”

Wetlands have numerous functions that prove to be valuable to the surrounding environment; among them, it filters pollutants and reduces flood damage. (Peggy Chen)

Despite their intentions, these preventative methods don’t always achieve their intended goal. “They had a tremendous influx of sand into that [area] that runs between Green Hope and Cary Tennis [Park],” she said. “And we’ve been dredging that sand for years, trying to salvage what we have of our wetland.” 

For Vasipalli, and many others, however, the Triangle area also provides access to educational and career opportunities they would have difficulty finding elsewhere — making it unlikely that future growth will slow down. “My family initially moved to the area so my sister and I could have access to better education and many other families do the same. We are also close to three very reputable universities and impressive industries, so the opportunities here are abundant,” she said, referring to local universities such as North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University. 

“I do not think Cary will stop growing anytime in the near future and neither will land development. Unfortunately, this will likely have detrimental consequences for our environment, which may be impossible to reverse,” Vasipalli said.