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Ely Portillo

Stories by Ely Portillo

‘It would be insane’ not to value stronger urban-rural connections
November 6, 2019
Cities boom while rural areas struggle. People seeking opportunity leave the countryside for urban areas. Small towns left behind after the local mill or factory closes down are hollowed-out shells...

The Charlotte region just inched closer to its first regional transit plan
October 29, 2019
Charlotte officials moved one step closer to a regional transit plan this week, approving an agreement to hire a consultant and craft a vision for the city and a dozen surrounding counties.

Baseball as a redevelopment strategy? Three cities pin their hopes on it
October 28, 2019
In the wake of manufacturing-based economies that once formed the basis for much of the region’s prosperity, three cities in the Carolinas Urban-Rural Connection study area are hoping the crack of a...

Mapping out Charlotte’s future: Streets plan accounts for more than cars
October 22, 2019
Charlotte planners are trying to change the city’s decades-long focus on building streets solely for cars with an effort to map and plan for future bicycle lanes, expanded sidewalks and more...

What ties urban, rural areas together? Forum will highlight connections
October 15, 2019
The Charlotte region rose to prosperity on the strength of ties between its rural areas and urban center, but those ties have frayed in recent decades, with the decline of the textile industry and...