Posts from October 2012
-
As new homes shrink, buyers seek community instead
While the real estate bust wracked much of the nation in recent years, the DC area escaped largely unscathed. However, one thing has changed: buyers want smaller homes, and builders are listening. Keep reading…
-
Breakfast links: Walkable, bikeable Virginia?
King Street turns towards peds; Bikes not part of a mosaic; More get on board with Metro; Another taxi app; St. Thomas mixed-use?; The camera fight to the north; Regions aren’t equal; States opt back in to trail funding; And…. Keep reading…
-
Landmark nomination, or DDOT snafus, may delay streetcar
The historic landmark nomination for Spingarn High School could delay the H Street streetcar by 3 months or even much more, said DDOT Director Terry Bellamy at a DC Council hearing today. But could DDOT have avoided this long ago? Councilmember Mary Cheh rebuked the agency for not planning effectively and not sharing its plans with the council or public. The Kingman Park Civic… Keep reading…
-
At 10, DC’s housing trust fund has had a tough childhood
This year, DC’s Housing Production Trust Fund celebrates 10 years as a key tool for preserving and developing affordable housing in the District of Columbia. It’s survived and succeeded despite encountering funding challenges from its inception. The Trust Fund has produced and preserved over 7,500 units of affordable housing across every ward in the District. Keep reading…
-
Controversial Prince George’s TOD bill still on fast track
Prince George’s County Councilmember Mel Franklin is still trying to exempt most development projects within a half-mile of transit stations from public meetings and site plan review. Unfortunately, his second hurried attempt at the legislation does not fix the problems which sparked outcry from community and smart growth activists. Franklin is placing his… Keep reading…
-
Breakfast links: Moving on
There was history before you; Ride sharing apps meet regulators; CEO cuts corners, trees; Line dead in suicide; SHA goes on a diet; GOP hates cities?; Texas faces high cost of roads; And…. Keep reading…
-
Columbus Day transit open thread
For many workers in the Washington area, Columbus Day is just another working Monday. But for federal employees and Red Line operators, it’s a holiday. With reduced transit service, what were your experiences getting to work today? The Metro system is operating under a “Saturday Supplemental” schedule, which means the rail network is operating at Saturday… Keep reading…
-
Get your fill of DC history this fall
With 2 annual conferences that recognize, analyze, share, and discuss our city’s recorded and built history, October is a de facto DC History Month. Come November, the Washington Historical Society will turn a page in its own history as it re-opens in the old Carnegie Library. The DC Preservation League’s Citywide Preservation Conference is on Friday, October… Keep reading…
-
Studio Plaza shows how “too big” isn’t always about height
Containing apartments, shops, offices and a public park, the proposed Studio Plaza development could be the next big thing in downtown Silver Spring’s revival. Literally: it’s one block-long building with minimal details that turns a pedestrian street into a tight underpass. Joint developers Robert Hillerson and Fairfield Investment Company have made an… Keep reading…
-
Breakfast links: Columbus Day
Streetcars get historic; Zoning update hyperbole; Don’t bother with new bike map; Germans love transit; Live on the Mall?; Homelessness rises; And…. Keep reading…