Posts by Alex Baca — DC Policy Director
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Please welcome our new Housing Program Organizer, Alex Baca!
Hi there. My name is Alex Baca, and I'm GGWash's new Housing Program Organizer. I'm excited—and a little nervous!—to be taking over David Whitehead's position following his phenomenal work in this role. Keep reading…
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Is it unethical to build a dog park on prime real estate in housing-strapped DC?
Should DC spend about $2 million on a parcel of land in Columbia Heights to build a dog park? The 7,335 square-foot parcel at 11th Street and Park roads NW has been empty for 20 years. It’s owned by WMATA; the Green Line passes under Park Road to connect Columbia Heights to Petworth. Keep reading…
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Why won’t Loudoun County’s terrible zombie Potomac Bridge proposal die?
Last month, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to endorse two potential crossing points for a new highway bridge over the Potomac River. While the vote was largely symbolic, the supervisors approved two corridors for the project, both near Bles Park Drive, a residential arterial road which parallels Broad Run as it nears the Potomac River. Keep reading…
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Gentrification in DC is not just a black and white issue
Most conventional debates over gentrification in DC position the process as one that replaces long-time black residents with newer, wealthier white residents. Given the context, this framing makes sense: DC has a well-established black middle class and a wealth of black history. However, the reality is a bit more complex — and diverse. Keep reading…
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503 survey respondents asked for more dockless everything
Late last month, Greater Greater Washington opened a short survey that asked contributors and readers about dockless personal mobility options — human-powered bikes, e-bikes, and electric scooters. To date, 500 people have responded to our questions. Keep reading…
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If you live in DC, Maryland, or Virginia, you need to understand “preemption”
When states pass legislation that bar localities from regulating local issues, or when the federal government does the same for states, this is known as “preemption.” Preemption affects a wide variety of policy decisions ranging from plastic bags to dockless bikeshares, so it's important for citizens to understand. Keep reading…
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A salmoning cyclist made me break my jaw; I blame the infrastructure
Riding the wrong way might irk the living daylights out of rule-abiding cyclists. However we shouldn’t deride the people who do it without simultaneously treating its prevalence as a referendum on our unacceptable, unsafe infrastructure. Keep reading…
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All transit riders have a choice
Agencies and officials often sort transit riders into two groups: “captive” and “choice.” This is a false dichotomy that perpetuates inaccurate assumptions about who rides transit and what their motivations might be. Keep reading…
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GGW discusses: Displacement versus gentrification
Yesterday, Erik Weber, David Garber, and Eric Fidler reacted to the NPR story about two people who chose not to live in Anacostia. In our discussion, other contributors had some broader thoughts about displacement, gentrification, and the difference between the two. Alex Baca writes: There is no stable definition of gentrification. Ask anyone—your neighbor,… Keep reading…
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Urban hipster? Long-time resident? We all need an affordable place to live
How does a growing city ensure that affordable housing is available to its population? As DC gains population for the first time in decades, we must take advantage of creative new tools and cross class and cultural boundaries if the city wants to be affordable for all. Tuesday’s Coalition for Smarter Growth forum, “Urban Hipsters and Long-time Residents Unite! Keep reading…