Posts tagged Preservation
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DC’s old school and church buildings are getting a new life
We should applaud projects that aim to repurpose closed churches and schools for the benefit of the larger community, and recognize that such efforts can take many forms. Keep reading…
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Shared space could be coming to Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park
Officials believe the latest proposal addresses many of the problems resulting from the area's current infrastructure, while still respecting the history and character of the neighborhood. Keep reading…
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Historic preservation in DC prioritizes the loudest neighbors, not the finest buildings
Squeaky wheels turn to historic preservation because it’s the most powerful regulatory tool in a municipality's land-use arsenal. Since every resident “squeaky wheel” is invited to request historic designation for just about any site in the District, many do — and overwhelmingly, they succeed. Keep reading…
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Will DC designate Kingman Park and Bloomingdale as historic despite community opposition?
Bloomingdale and Kingman Park might get marked historic whether or not the majority of the neighborhood supports becoming a historic district, because DC law doesn’t technically require taking public sentiment into account. Keep reading…
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What is a historic district, anyway?
Historic designation can be complicated, but since DC has more than 50 historic districts, it's important to understand. Here's a breakdown of what it actually does. Keep reading…
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Zoning laws are frequently abused. Here’s what they’re supposed to do.
Unfortunately, since zoning is ubiquitous throughout the development process, elected officials often try to use zoning legislation to coax developers in a different direction and to address community complaints — regardless of whether it's really the best mechanism to do so. Keep reading…
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DC has more historic buildings than Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia combined. Why?
As of 2016, DC had designated 26,749 properties as historic landmarks or historic districts. That’s 19.4 percent of all properties in the District — a proportion many times higher than in cities that are larger and/or older than Washington. Keep reading…
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Zoning can do a lot, but it can’t do it all
Some communities try to use zoning to force a specific type of business to be built in the neighborhood or to prevent too many people from moving in. Zoning laws can be a powerful way to shape neighborhoods — which means they're often abused. Keep reading…
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Why I oppose historic designation for Bloomingdale
Bloomingdale is in fact very historic, but a closer look reveals that this initiative is less about preserving history and more about limiting the kind of changes residents can make with their homes. Keep reading…
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Baltimore’s peers have lessons for Charm City’s $1 home program
As a followup to our initial post about Baltimore's potential $1 home program, we decided to take a look at how successful these initiatives have been in other cities. People line up for dollar homes, but in most cases the initial enthusiasm meets the tough realization that a $1 property would not be habitable from day one. Keep reading…