Posts by Elizabeth Whitton — Contributor
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Here are some urbanist podcasts we are listening to right now
Every so often, Greater Greater Washington writes about the podcasts we have enjoyed. It is time to refresh our list, highlighting old favorites, and sharing some new finds. Keep reading…
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What is a feminist city? Author Leslie Kern explores how to make the region better for women.
Do our public spaces support the daily activities, care work, and needs of women? “Feminist City” examines how our cities, neighborhoods, and transportation decisions make childcare, household activities, and safety challenging for women. The author of this recently published book chatted with Greater Greater Washington. Here’s what she had to say. Keep reading…
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A former WMATA employee tells us what Metro was like in the 70s and 80s
What was Metro like in its early years? I posed that question recently to Harry Barley, who worked at WMATA from 1974 to1996 in a wide variety of roles. Before retiring from a four-decade career in transportation, Barley agreed to an oral history-type interview about WMATA in the 70s and 80s. Keep reading…
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Six lessons for the DC Streetcar from Morocco’s tram
Each day, 100,000 people ride the Rabat-Sale Tram, the streetcar system in Morocco’s capital city. They do so, because the tram connects mostly working-class neighborhoods with job centers, bridges a divide over two riverbanks, and efficiently moves people from all types of backgrounds. The Rabat-Sale tram offers six lessons that could make the DC streetcar a better option for more people. Keep reading…
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To build a better transit system for all, start by understanding how women travel
Women account for 55% of transit riders in the US, according to the National Household Travel Survey, yet their travel needs and behaviors are not well understood. If you lack an understanding of how and why women travel, how can you provide safe, reliable, and comfortable transit service? Keep reading…
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Here’s what urbanist podcasts we’re listening to
GGWash contributors shared some of their favorite urbanist podcasts in 2017, and since new ones are coming out all the time, we decided it was time to update the list. If you're all caught up on Talking Headways, give some of these a listen. Keep reading…
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The Washington region has good transit compared to others, a new “opinionated atlas” says
Christof Spieler, an urban planner and former Houston Metro board member, has written one of the best transit/planning books I’ve read in a long time. Its articulate descriptions of what makes for good transit and well-researched profiles of 47 metro areas give you the foundation necessary for having an insightful conversation. Keep reading…
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One of WMATA’s early employees tells us what Metro was like in the 70s and 80s
What was Metro like in its early years? I posed that question recently to Harry Barley, who worked at WMATA from 1974 to1996 in a wide variety of roles. Before retiring from a four-decade career in transportation, Barley agreed to an oral history-type interview about WMATA in the 70s and 80s. Keep reading…
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Are private, high-speed trains the future of travel? I tested one out to see.
As a planner, I'm keenly aware that Brightline’s service model cannot be easily copied by public transportation agencies. However, while public transit agencies can't implement Brightline’s entire playbook, they can use some of its plays. Keep reading…
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Here are the urbanist podcasts GGWash loves
“What is your favorite podcast?” This may have been a rare question five years ago, but now it's hard to go to a happy hour without being posed this question. Thankfully, GGWash contributors have shared theirs–with an urbanist bent, of course. Now you'll have lots of wonderful, wonky recommendations for your colleagues. Keep reading…