Recent Posts
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Events roundup: Free-for-all
Save up to splurge on holiday shopping with this upcoming plethora of free events around the region. Panel and party for local producers: Join Smart Growth America, Think Local First DC, and Elevation DC for Production in the City, an event celebrating local manufacturers in DC. Get a local perspective on production during a panel discussion and shop the pop-up marketplace with… Keep reading…
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It’s fine to not build parking at Tysons Metro stations
Despite years of planning to transform Tysons Corner from a car-oriented edge city into a walkable downtown, some Northern Virginia residents are surprised to learn that Tysons’ 4 Metro stations will not be surrounded by parking lots. Keep reading…
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Do new standards promote big words instead of big ideas?
The new Common Core State Standards, which DC and most states have adopted, call for giving students reading assignments that are more complex. But is the Common Core directing educators to push students to read big words rather than to generate big ideas? The Common Core’s definition of “complex text” hinges on a number of factors, including sentence length… Keep reading…
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Good design, lots of parking at Wheaton’s tallest building
Last month, downtown Wheaton got a new Safeway, complete with 17 floors of apartments on top. While the new building gives Wheaton a skyline, it also has a lot of above-ground parking and blank walls, making the surrounding streets less inviting to pedestrians. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Graying society
AAA wants baby boomers to keep driving; Property tax credits for elderly; Parking still excessive on Black Friday; Hope for the Height Act?; Tiny houses show possible affordable avenue; Four more years?; Derailed train was speeding; Work at CSG; And…. Keep reading…
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Arlington considers using fees to reduce parking
Arlington may consider instituting a fee for developers who provide less than the “standard” amount of parking in office buildings. The money could be used to pay for improvements in the surrounding area, particularly ones that encourage using alternatives to driving. At an Arlington Transportation Commission meeting last Monday, staff presented the results… Keep reading…
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Rural Virginia leads eastern US in cars per household
This map shows US counties, colored according to the average number of cars owned per household. Keep reading…
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DC mulls new affordable housing rules in public land deals
When the District government bids out city-owned property for development, it asks for affordable housing to be part of the deal, but how much is enough? Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie is proposing that 20-30% of the housing in any such deal be affordable for low-income households. On properties that DC has offered for development, like Parcel 42 in Shaw or the Hine School on Capitol… Keep reading…
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Sidewalks aren’t just for walking
On narrow sidewalks, there’s often a tension between different users and activities. But sidewalks in an urban place need to make room for people to do more than just walk through. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Welcome back
Purple Line may impact endangered species; Food trucks receive lotteried spots; Fatal derailment in New York; Bike trains help novices; Finer street grids improve walkability; Germany plans deep emissions cuts; Kolkata cyclists protest ban; And…. Keep reading…