Posts tagged Repost
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Here’s how the Washington & Old Dominion railroad created Northern Virginia’s suburbs
Today, the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) is a paved trail used for fun and commuting across Northern Virginia. Of course, originally the Washington & Old Dominion was a railroad — one with a long and convoluted history that helped form Dunn Loring, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and other communities that still exist to this day. Keep reading…
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These ‘magic school buses’ give kids safe, fun, and healthy walking routes to class
A “walking” school bus gets several kids to walk to school together, with an adult escort. All it takes is a little organization, a route people can follow, and showing up. Keep reading…
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Four Black men developed a Montgomery County suburb to provide a better life for some in their community. They received something very different in return.
In 1906, four African American men attempted to develop an elite suburb for African Americans along Wisconsin Avenue between Chevy Chase and Friendship Heights, Maryland. Despite facing intense hostility from adjacent white landowners, at least 28 people bought lots. However, their vision was ultimately undone using subtler methods, showing how nominally race-blind tools can serve racist ends. Keep reading…
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The 1970s tax reform initiative that debilitated Prince George’s County libraries
The 1960s and 1970s saw major growth in the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS). But at the end of the 1970s, that growth ground to a halt when residents passed a racially-motivated referendum limiting the county’s taxing authority. Keep reading…
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Why do so many queer folks love urbanism?
OPINION: For the vast majority of queer people, cities serve as the backdrop for the first time they find safety, community, and romance, but do we queers only flock to urban spaces for the relative acceptance they provide, or does our love affair go deeper — to the unique ways cities allow us to live, move, and connect. Keep reading…
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Many bathrooms have been closed during the pandemic. Who suffers?
Since the onset of the pandemic a year ago, many restrooms have been closed to the public. Public restroom access is important, as many people depend on them. And yet, in the past 12 months of the pandemic, we have seen many businesses, institutions, and parks shut their restrooms to anyone but employees and staff – and sometimes to anyone at all. Keep reading…
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What would a Green New Deal for DC look like?
The Green New Deal, the economic and environmental plan most prominantly championed by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has sweeping ideas for a change in national policy. But what would a more localized Green New Deal for DC look like? Keep reading…
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How these six ‘spokes’ could make Washington a model biking region
A summer-long project by Master’s students at Georgetown University’s Urban and Regional Planning program mapped out strategies to achieve an ambitious goal: to make Greater Washington the best biking region in the country. Keep reading…
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Here’s 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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Cemeteries use a lot of space and are terrible for the environment. Is there a better way?
In Berlin, cemeteries are being converted to parks, playgrounds, and housing. Is Berlin going in the right direction? Are other cities, including those in the Washington region, likely to follow suit? Keep reading…