1. Home
  2. About Us
  3. Contributing Writers
  4. Ely Portillo

Ely Portillo

Stories by Ely Portillo

Is this road design a better way to move, or an outdated solution for traffic?
May 28, 2019
As Charlotte grows denser and more urban, parts of the city built decades ago on an auto-centric, suburban framework are struggling to both absorb more traffic and adapt to new beliefs about how...

Five maps that show inequality in Charlotte in surprising ways
May 28, 2019
It turns out you can see disparities on the map in Charlotte across way more dimensions than traditional measures like household income. 

As development booms, Charlotte still wrestles with density

May 21, 2019
With Charlotte’s population growing by more than 60 people a day, planners, politicians and many residents agree that denser development is inevitable in the city’s future. But just how dense - and...

Charlotte is backing off its goal of 50 percent tree canopy by 2050
May 20, 2019
Eight years ago, Charlotte set a goal for itself: 50 percent tree canopy coverage across the city by 2050. But because of rapid development and an aging tree population, the city likely won’t reach...

Charlotte is ‘on the cusp’ of its first true regional transit plan
May 15, 2019
The Charlotte region is taking concrete steps towards building a regional transit system, and, in a local first, the proposed Silver Line could run through three counties. But plenty of big questions...