Posts by Payton Chung — Board of Directors
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How U Street almost became strip malls and office parks
Planners in the 1950s wanted to replace large swaths of central Washington with freeways. Canceling those plans saved the city not just from the freeways themselves, but also from an equally stunning plan to demolish thousands more blocks alongside said freeways and “renew” them with a suburban landscape of strip malls, office campuses, and apartment towers. Keep reading…
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The feds own RFK. Here’s what they plan to do with it.
There’s been a lot of talk lately about what to do with RFK Stadium and the land around it. One detail that’s largely been left out of the conversation: the federal government owns the entire 190-acre site, and it has already developed and adopted an ambitious plan to fill the site with mixed-use development, recreation, and culture. Keep reading…
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Most of DC’s new housing is in high-rises, which most people can’t afford to live in
At first glance, the District’s central-city housing boom might seem to be completely benign: as long as new housing is being built, does it matter where it is? But by funneling almost all new residences into central-city high-rises, the District is all but requiring that new housing be built with only the most expensive construction techniques, on the most expensive land. Keep reading…
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The lion’s share of DC’s new housing is only going in one part of the city
Over the last decade, DC has built 13% less housing than its Comprehensive Plan calls for. Of the new housing that is going up, most of it is confined to the central city even though the plan recommends only 30% go there. Meanwhile, most parts of the District are building little or no new housing. Keep reading…
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DC built 13% less housing over the past decade than its own citywide plan calls for
In 2006, DC adopted a Comprehensive Plan to guide its development efforts. At the time, the District’s population had just started to perk up after six decades of decline, and the plan reasonably foresaw that growth could continue into the future. The District’s population has indeed grown substantially, but its housing stock isn’t keeping pace. Keep reading…
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When DC’s fish market comes ashore, it will re-create a historic food destination
The Maine Avenue Fish Market on the Southwest Waterfront, the oldest open-air seafood marketplace in America, was exiled offshore in 1960. There are now plans underway to expand it back onto land and expand its offerings beyond just seafood. Keep reading…
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Think the rent’s too high? Try your hand at managing a landlord’s budget
The rents in the brand-new apartment buildings all around town have caused some serious sticker shock. If you’ve wondered just how the rent got to be so damn high, you might find a few minutes with a new online game to be instructive. ”Inside the Rent,” created by New York City’s Citizens Housing & Planning Council, lets you examine the construction… Keep reading…
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Have you noticed anything different about DC’s traffic signals?
Over the past two years, and especially over the past few months, the District Department of Transportation has re-timed hundreds of traffic signals throughout DC. Most recently, many stoplights downtown have been reprogrammed, which means that the street network now works very differently. Keep reading…
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It’s about to get easier to build mid-rises in DC
Soon, it might be a lot easier and less expensive to build mid-rise buildings along transit corridors in DC. This is thanks to a 2015 update to the International Building Code. The View at Waterfront, a proposed 85’ tall wood-framed building. Rendering by SK+I Architecture. Keep reading…
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Tomorrow’s special election candidates talk streetcar, bus lanes, and more
The DC chapter of the Sierra Club asked candidates in tomorrow’s Ward 4 and Ward 8 special elections about their stances on transportation issues. The Club heard back from Brandon Todd in Ward 4 and from Eugene Kinlow and LaRuby May in Ward 8. The questionnaire, which covered bus lanes, streetcars, parking, and bike trails, was part of the Sierra Club’s endorsement… Keep reading…