Posts tagged Opinion
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For housing affordability, warehouse the rich
Local residents might complain about cranes and “luxury” developments, but the truth is that cities with the strongest economies have not allowed construction of enough housing units to meet growing demand. This has caused what Rick Jacobus at Shelterforce calls “the new planning dilemma: where to put the rich?” Keep reading…
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Decongestion pricing could help fix traffic in the Washington region
State lawmakers recently sealed a deal to make New York City the first city in the country to implement decongestion pricing, a measure intended to cut down on the city’s infamous gridlock traffic, while also raising much-needed revenue to improve and maintain its aging subway system. Could such a system work in our region? Keep reading…
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The District’s streets are dangerous, and unjust, by design
On March 13 and 14 road safety advocates and leaders gathered to discuss the District's progress on Vision Zero, its committment to eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2024. The initiative is badly needed—we as a region, and as a nation, face a traffic safety crisis, particularly for people walking. Keep reading…
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Is it unethical to build a dog park on prime real estate in housing-strapped DC?
Should DC spend about $2 million on a parcel of land in Columbia Heights to build a dog park? The 7,335 square-foot parcel at 11th Street and Park roads NW has been empty for 20 years. It’s owned by WMATA; the Green Line passes under Park Road to connect Columbia Heights to Petworth. Keep reading…
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Nobody else should die crossing the street in Washington, DC
On Wednesday night, a tour bus driver struck and killed two people crossing Pennsylvania Avenue. They had just spent the evening enjoying holiday decorations around the capital. Instead of going home to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones, their relatives are on the way to DC to claim their bodies. Keep reading…
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If DC is serious about being a green city, it should encourage dockless scooters
Since I left the US Department of Transportation a couple of years ago, one of the most transformative developments in how Americans get around is the e-scooter. I see them every day in downtown Washington, DC and in several major cities where I travel. Keep reading…
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Ready for holiday shopping? Here are some urbanist holiday gifts for kids, from local merchants
Back for 2018, here's a roundup from our contributors of urbanist gift ideas for kids. In prior years, we have rounded up baby railfan-specific suggestions and more general classics. This year, we've got some ideas for how to shop local in our own great region. Keep reading…
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Opinion: We need a safety makeover for Montgomery’s state highways
Just weeks ago, a driver hit and injured four high school students who were waiting for their school bus to arrive on Georgia Avenue. This tragedy followed three other pedestrians deaths on Georgia Avenue this year. Sadly, this is not a new phenomenon. Keep reading…
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Opinion: Why should we trust the wealthy who deride transit about Amazon?
Hundreds of city managers across the US view HQ2 as a golden ticket, but it’s a decidedly less clear proposition to the rest of the people living in the possible recipient cities. Many of these places are grappling with sky-high housing prices, deferred transit backlogs, and ever-steepening inequality, and it seems unlikely that Amazon will solve these issues. Keep reading…
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Reed: The urbanist case for Nancy Floreen for Montgomery County Executive
Montgomery County voters have to choose between sitting at-large councilmembers Nancy Floreen and Marc Elrich for county executive on November 6. The Greater Greater Washington community is far from unified in its view on this race. To help readers think about the issues, we're bringing you a pair of opinion pieces by members of our community who are backing different candidates. Keep reading…