Posts by DW Rowlands — Contributor
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There’s a new tool for viewing information about census tracts
If you have an interest in a particular neighborhood or region, the information presented in this website can be quite illuminating. You can suss out interesting commuting, housing, and density patterns. What discoveries did you make with this tool?
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Many people use ZIP codes to determine place names. Here’s why that doesn’t work well.
In unincorporated areas, the names the US Postal Service associates with ZIP codes are commonly used to label a place. However, that’s a flawed method — here’s why. Keep reading…
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Metrorail is no longer the second-busiest rapid transit system in the country
Transit ridership has been falling nationwide, but Washington's metro ridership has fallen significantly even compared to other systems. For a long time, Metrorail had long had the second-highest ridership of any of the country’s 13 heavy rail rapid-transit systems. Keep reading…
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Prince George’s will replace most of its county elected officials this year. Will they set a good path?
Prince George's will select a variety of new elected officials in the Democratic primary on June 26. In a county where 79 percent of voters are Democrats, the primary is the election — so register to vote now! Keep reading…
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Half of Prince George’s County residents can’t take transit to jury duty
Only about 45 percent of the population of Prince George's can reach the county courthouse in ninety minutes or less by transit. Local residents generally contend with worse transit access than people living in other parts of the region. Keep reading…
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Washington residents can get a library card almost anywhere in the region
Many of the library systems in the Washington region allow residents of other jurisdictions to get a library card without paying a non-resident fee. This is usually done in the form of reciprocal agreements between two library systems, allowing residents of either system's jurisdiction to use the libraries in the other system. Keep reading…
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The way we calculate population density is wrong. Here’s what we should do instead.
The way we commonly calculate density leads to unreasonable results in large areas, like showing LA with higher density than New York City. There's a better way. Keep reading…
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This online GIS atlas reveals the history of Prince George’s County
Hey history buffs: Prince George's Atlas has a slew of fascinating old aerial photos, maps, and other cartographic information about the county, including property boundaries and environmental information. What did your neighborhood look like a century ago? Keep reading…
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Where you live is obviously important. But around here, it’s not that easy to define.
When we think of a “town” or “city” we might imagine a place with fixed boundaries and its own government, with a mayor and council. That's how communities are organized in most of the United States. But in much of Maryland and Virginia, “city government” doesn't really exist. Keep reading…
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Metrorail changes mean even shorter hours than other transit systems
WMATA claims that reduced hours are necessary to properly maintain the system, but most other cities’ rapid transit systems manage with longer operating hours and later closing times. Keep reading…