Posts by Alex Baca — DC Policy Director
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Tuesday is the last day to vote in the DC and Maryland primaries
An election can feel like the furthest thing in our minds in a world wracked by COVID-19 and protests over police violence, but Tuesday, June 2 is Election Day for primaries in DC and Maryland, and Virginia on June 23. DC also has a special election in Ward 2 on June 16, and in Arlington on July 7. Keep reading…
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DC will reduce speed limits on roads and close some streets to through traffic
At her press conference on Friday, May 29, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the default speed limit on DC streets would be lowered from 25 mph to 20 mph and that DDOT would be closing some streets to through traffic as part of a “slow streets” initiative. Keep reading…
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Have you ever thought about being an ANC commissioner? Now’s your chance to run.
On June 26, petitions will be available for candidates for advisory neighborhood commission seats, which will be decided in the November 3 general election. ANCs advise on a countless number of decisions that impact their neighborhood, from redevelopment projects to traffic calming safety upgrades on streets. You should consider running! Keep reading…
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16 things DC (and other cities) could do about housing in a downturn
Housing and land-use policy have lasting impacts on how the built environment works. Even mere rhetoric around them functions on a longer timescale than the immediate response required in a crisis moment, to say nothing of plans and laws, which stay on the books for decades. As municipalities design reopenings and recoveries, they should be proactive, not reactive. Keep reading…
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Gentrification in DC isn’t 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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Elections are right around the corner. If you’re in DC or Virginia, have you requested your ballot?
It’s primary season! There are elections in DC on June 2 (and 16), Maryland on June 2, and Virginia on June 23. Because voting in person risks spreading coronavirus further, many jurisdictions are shifting to voting by mail. Here’s what you need to know. Keep reading…
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Can DC build a better Comp Plan process? An Office of Planning report hints at “yes.”
Within the Comp Plan package that DC Mayor Muriel Bowser recently sent to the DC council is a report from Office of Planning staff. It contains some interesting tidbits about what’s come out of OP’s outreach efforts over the past year, as well as some remarks on how our comprehensive planning process, and documents, could work better. Keep reading…
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Candidates for the Arlington special election talk about urbanist issues in our questionnaire
On Thursday, May 7, a select group of Arlington County Democratic party members will choose a candidate to represent their party in a July special election to replace former supervisor Erik Gutshall. Candidates Chanda Choun, Barbara Kanninen, Nicole Merlene, and Takis Karantonis are all running for the seat. Keep reading…
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How can we talk about housing after COVID-19?
Housing has been a reliably zeitgeisty topic, nationally and in DC, for several years. Discussions about it get heated. It’s combative! It’s intensified, just like everything else, by COVID-19! So many people—residents, advocates, experts, elected officials—are stakeholders in how housing works. Given that, what are we all going to say about it now? Keep reading…
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Mayor Bowser sent amendments to DC’s Comp Plan to the council. Here’s what you need to know.
On Thursday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser sent the full set of her administration’s final Comprehensive Plan amendments to the council. Office of Planning officials had previously stated that they would have amendments to the Comp Plan ready by mid-April, so the city has met its own deadline. Keep reading…