Ely Portillo

Stories by Ely Portillo

Survey sheds light on the future of Charlotte’s creative community

When it comes to the creative scene, Charlotte isn’t often mentioned in the same breath with peer cities like Austin or Nashville.



Who you befriend affects your economic mobility

When it comes to economic mobility – low-income children’s ability to rise from poverty – we’ve known for a while that where you live influences your chances of success.



Data show Charlotte remains dangerous for pedestrians

Here’s another paradox from the COVID-19 pandemic: People drove less, but the streets got more deadly.



How fast is Charlotte losing its tree canopy? No one knows

Charlotte’s losing three football fields a day worth of trees – or, at least, we were from 2012 to 2018.



Charlotte plans bus service cuts amidst staffing problems

As the Charlotte Area Transit System continues struggling to fill bus driver positions, the agency could soon implement bus service cuts to deal with the shortage and create a more reliable...