A new era is officially underway in Research Triangle Park after the companies and landowners based in the 7,000-acre campus gave final approval to its RTP 3.0 land rules.

Why it matters: The land-use changes, which had already been approved by Wake and Durham counties, could significantly change the built environment of the Triangle's most influential economic engine of the past six decades.

• Nearly 400 companies are based in RTP, ranging from behemoths like IBM, Lenovo and Biogen to hundreds of startups.

Driving the news: The new rules would give landowners much more flexibility on what they can build, like housing, retail and other commercial buildings for the first time.

• Instead of a building surrounded by a large parking lot, for instance, a land owner can now build much more densely, adding apartments or other amenities. The park is hoping to focus this redevelopment around transit corridors that are coming to N.C. 54.
• It expands the concept that the Research Triangle Foundation, the nonprofit that manages the park, experimented with through its HUB RTP development.

Between the lines: A collection of walled-off corporate fortresses hidden behind trees worked well for 50 years.

• But leaders at Research Triangle Park worried that the existing concept was becoming less attractive in the 2020s, as employees and companies sought more urban-feeling developments that were propping up across the country.

What they're saying: "Starting five years ago, coming out of COVID, our companies had a lot of concerns about talent attraction and retention," Travis Crayton, vice president of planning and public policy at the Research Triangle Foundation, told Axios.

• "The places we create today look very different than they did in 1959," he added. "And this effort really has been about creating the right land-use framework that will allow the park to organically evolve over time to create more of those environments where talent really wants to be."

What's next: Don't expect immediate changes, Crayton said. Landowners are still digesting the possibilities of the new rules.

The intrigue: There already is a lot of curiosity, including from RTI International and IBM.

• It could also give flexibility to redevelop land if a large employer leaves — Lenovo reportedly is considering moving its HQ to the Lenovo Center redevelopment — or if one doesn't arrive at all. (Apple again delayed plans for an RTP campus last year.)

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👋 Mary Helen here with another timely lunch stop for World Cup fans.

• In Wake Forest, locally owned Norse Brewing Company serves Scandinavian-inspired food and beer in a charming, gnome-filled downtown tavern. And yes, there are TVs.

Why it matters: Norway and Sweden's knockout matches today make it an ideal time to sample Scandinavian cuisine without leaving the Triangle.

• Norway plays Ivory Coast at 1pm.
• Sweden plays France at 5pm.

State of play: To be Norse, I now know, is not necessarily to be Norwegian. Descendants of the Norse are spread across Scandinavia — living in Denmark, Sweden and Iceland in addition to Norway.

• "They were all vikings," our server explained.

Best bites: The Smørrebrød with fried haddock and shrimp ($18) is a crispy open-faced sandwich on sourdough, best eaten with a fork and knife. Tangy remoulade and arugula prevent the fried seafood from tasting overly rich. Outstanding.

• The Viking burger ($21.50) blends bison, elk, boar and beef in the patty. It's got a rich and complex flavor and is topped with caramelized onion, blue cheese and tomato jam.
• The beet salad ($6.75) is tangy and sweet, with a standout lingonberry vinaigrette.
• Their craft seltzer ($7.50) is refreshing in the heat and flavored with passion fruit, orange and guava.

Zoom in: The restaurant and brewery opened in Wake Forest in 2019. A Zebulon location called Norse Brewing Longhouse was added in 2024.

If you go: Both locations are open daily for lunch and dinner.

• 203 Brooks St., Wake Forest
• 120 N. Arendell Ave., Zebulon

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🚜 Martin Marietta, the Raleigh-based construction material supplier, will acquire Lhoist North America, a limestone supplier, for $13.5 billion. (News & Observer)

Former NFL and ECU star running back Chris Johnson has been diagnosed with ALS at age 40. (Axios Nashville)

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The CEOs lost this one: New government data shows that 35% of U.S. workers did some or all of their work at home last year — significantly higher than in the previous decade.

Why it matters: Despite the best efforts of many prominent executives and leaders, we live in a hybrid work world, with more people doing their jobs remotely, and that's led to big societal change, Axios' Emily Peck writes.

Flashback: The workplace was permanently altered in the pandemic. In 2019, only 24% of workers did some or all of their work from home. By 2022, that number had risen to 34% and has stayed relatively steady since.

Where it stands: Working from home is mostly for workers with more education.

• 57% of those with an advanced degree did some work at home in 2025, per the data from the American Time Use Survey.
• That's compared with 30% for those with some college or an associate degree.

Between the lines: This helps partly explain the gender divide. Women, who earn a bigger share of college degrees, are more likely than men to work remotely.

Zoom in: The Triangle consistently ranks as one of the highest concentrations of remote workers in the country.