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Ely Portillo

Stories by Ely Portillo

Five things to watch as Charlotte grows in 2022
November 30, 2021

Despite the pandemic and economic uncertainty, 2021 was a banner year for Charlotte, with major developments announced, a long-awaited new vision plan for the city and big – if uncertain – steps...

More drive-thru drama in south Charlotte: Zoning and walkability rules
November 17, 2021

At a closed Chinese restaurant sandwiched between busy roads near the Blue Line, Charlotte City Council is wrestling with a choice: Make exceptions to aspirational rules for a more pedestrian-...

Technology, sensors and AI in design
November 15, 2021

Imagine this scenario: Building designers are trying to figure out why pedestrian traffic at one spot in an airport terminal past the security checkpoints is consistently snarled. 

As projected construction costs surge, state road money dries up
November 11, 2021

New projections from North Carolina’s Department of Transportation show the state is $12 billion short on funding its next slate of transportation projects — nearly double the gap reported earlier...

Charlotte wants more walkability. Fast-food companies want more drive-thru-only restaurants. Can they coexist?
November 8, 2021

Nowhere in Charlotte embodies the city’s awkward and aspirational transition from car-centric Sun Belt suburbia to denser, walkable urbanism quite like a pair of fried chicken restaurants in...