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Ely Portillo

Stories by Ely Portillo

Charlotte just wrapped up its busiest decade ever for uptown development
February 6, 2020
The 2010s in uptown Charlotte were a decade with a split personality, starting with an epic crash and swinging to a huge boom that transformed the skyline and left an enormous mark on the city. At...

What Charlotte needs to grow into a great city
February 3, 2020
In more than three decades since she moved to the city, UNC Charlotte professor Deb Ryan has seen a lot of changes. At Charlotte City Council's annual retreat in January, Ryan said she thinks it...

What will Charlotte look like? This new tool makes it easier to visualize
February 3, 2020
The skyline changes every year in a fast-growing city like Charlotte, as parking lots morph into high-rises and humble houses or older building are demolished to make way for the next big thing. It...

The biggest environmental issues facing Charlotte share a common root
January 21, 2020
Air pollution, runoff and sediment in our waterways, disappearing open space and development chipping away at our tree canopy: Charlotte’s facing many environmental challenges with one common cause...

‘Raise our expectations:’ Four takeaways from Charlotte City Council’s retreat
January 16, 2020
Charlotte faces a wide range of needs, from affordable housing to more police, bigger parks and better transit, but they all share a similar root cause: growth.  That was one of the main...