Posts tagged Urban Design
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Who benefits from the Secret Safeway’s community benefits agreement?
As part of a deal to build a replacement for the Tenleytown Safeway, residents are looking for the right public benefit to ask for. But the rare opportunity to get a big donation is bringing out narrow interests. At the February ANC 3E meeting, Steve Strazzella of developer Bozzuto presented the latest iteration of a 5-year-old plan to redevelop the so-called “Secret Safeway,”… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Save the shrimp and the parking
Crustacean conundrum; Old law helps bike lane foes; Bike lane deficit; Shielding black boxes; Bye-bye, Blue Goose; High speed = high cost; Bad boys; “No parking after midnight?”; And…. Keep reading…
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Town square could wake up Wheaton’s sleepy downtown
Wheaton could get a new town square with an amphitheatre, performance space, and a dramatic ramp connecting it to the Metro station. It’s part of Montgomery County’s latest plan to revitalize Wheaton’s struggling downtown, which officials released earlier this month. Keep reading…
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What would taller buildings mean for DC’s architecture?
Would lifting the height limit lead to better architecture? It’s not that simple, say architects. There are many people and forces, both cultural and economic, that shape the built environment, not just height. Proponents of relaxing the height limit say that it would improve the quality of architecture, but they usually mean that new buildings will be less boxy if there’s… 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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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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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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Designs for a Southeast Boulevard look like the freeway it’s replacing
Last night, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) presented several concepts for replacing the end of the Southeast Freeway with a boulevard. While it’s supposed to reconnect Hill East to the Anacostia River, all of the designs presented prioritize through traffic instead. The Southeast Freeway has been a barrier between the neighborhood and the river,… Keep reading…
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McMillan plans show expansive new recreation spaces
Opponents to redeveloping the McMillan Sand Filtration Site often say it’ll result in a loss of recreation and park space. But a recent video of the proposed plan by development team Vision McMillan Partners shows a compelling vision of a site with a large park and recreational component. Keep reading…
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Events roundup: Get ready for 2014
Talk about upcoming elections in DC and Maryland, planning in Arlington, and find out how Vienna, Austria got its affordable housing at events around the region this week. Transit reporters talk politics: How will Smart Growth issues affect the 2014 elections in DC and Maryland? Tonight (Tuesday), the Action Committee for Transit will host a panel discussion on transit and… Keep reading…