Land Use
Greater Greater Washington writes about where we live, work, and play, why we make the location choices we do, and what forces shape these places.
Many people would like to live in safe, diverse, walkable neighborhoods with access to transit, stores, parks, good schools, and other amenities. While our region has more walkable urban places than most, the demand still exceeds available housing, making these places more expensive (and prices keep rising rapidly).
We must ensure that there are enough housing choices so everyone who wants to live in such a neighborhood can choose to do so. We should ensure that housing in desirable areas is available to people at many points along the income spectrum, and take action to fight segregation. And we can improve the vitality of all neighborhoods by encouraging new retail and amenities to improve the quality of life for all residents.
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New maps show how fragmented our regional politics was, even at the dawn of colonialism
Political maps of North America before the colonial period left a lot to be desired. A blogger decided to make better ones, including of the Chesapeake Bay area. Keep reading…
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Do Something: The week of April 29, 2024
This week: the trouble with tax credits, affordable homes for people with disabilities, and see you at one of our DC happy hours in May??? Keep reading…
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Low-cost, short-term strategies for boosting Metrorail ridership
Juice Metrorail ridership with these three easy tricks Keep reading…
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Arenas don’t revitalize neighborhoods. People do
As the District prepares to subsidize Monumental’s staying-put in Chinatown, it’s worth contemplating whether developments like the Capital One arena revitalize neighborhoods, or make them more fragile. Keep reading…
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Do Something: The week of April 22, 2024
This week on Do Something: upzoning in Chevy Chase DC; it’s not just about bike lanes on Connecticut Avenue; how to get safer streets and social housing in Montgomery County; and getting ready for the primary in DC and Virginia. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: MWCOG sets 50% tree canopy coverage goal for region
MWCOG sets goal of maintaining 50% tree canopy coverage regionally. Class action lawsuit filed against Foxtrot amid sudden closure and layoffs. EPA fines oil recycling facility in South Baltimore $230,000 for pollution. Keep reading…
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DC struggles to build affordable housing in wealthy neighborhoods. Here’s one reason why.
Building a new building is often a slow process, and affordable housing developers navigate it with an additional twist: when working through a competitive government funding process, it takes an especially long time to close on financing. Keep reading…
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More people are dying because of impaired driving in the region, but there’s less enforcement
Most of the country has seen decreases in fatalities due to impaired driving, but not the Washington region, according to a report from the Council of Governments. Is a lack of enforcement part of the problem? Keep reading…
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What could the region do to ensure WMATA not only survives but thrives?
The District, Maryland, and Virginia look set to fill WMATA’s short-term budget gap. But the region needs a plan for ensuring the agency is financially sustainable in the long term. What are the options? Keep reading…
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Do Something: The week of April 15, 2024
This week on Do Something: the wheels come off on Connecticut Avenue; fourplexes (and more) in Montgomery County; and getting ready for the Virginia primaries. Keep reading…