Land Use
Greater Greater Washington writes about where we live, work, and play, why we make the location choices we do, and what forces shape these places.
Many people would like to live in safe, diverse, walkable neighborhoods with access to transit, stores, parks, good schools, and other amenities. While our region has more walkable urban places than most, the demand still exceeds available housing, making these places more expensive (and prices keep rising rapidly).
We must ensure that there are enough housing choices so everyone who wants to live in such a neighborhood can choose to do so. We should ensure that housing in desirable areas is available to people at many points along the income spectrum, and take action to fight segregation. And we can improve the vitality of all neighborhoods by encouraging new retail and amenities to improve the quality of life for all residents.
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Maryland’s systemic streets
Last year, I mapped Washington’s street-naming system and state-named avenues. But the logical organization of street names doesn’t end at the DC line. The alphabetical and numerical naming of streets continues into Maryland (and Arlington). Washington’s numbered streets run north-south and increase in number as distance from the Capitol increases. Keep reading…
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Teens and young adults aren’t mosquitoes
If you’re under 25, you’re not quite welcome in Chinatown. A new “Mosquito” device at the street level of the Metro entrance at 7th & H Streets in Chinatown is emitting shrill noise at 18 KHz, a high frequency that only young people can hear. Similar devices have been installed in Britain with the same purpose of discouraging young people from… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: A difference of opinions
Tyranny of the minorty; Back and forth on parking minimums; Political soap opera; Trading barbs; The road not driven; Ban overboard; Feet in an actual street. Keep reading…
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You know you’ve arrived when…
Greater Greater Washington is the subject of the cover story in this week’s City Paper, about how our little ragtag band of bloggers here is getting to be a little bit influential. If you’re visiting us for the first time after finding out about us in the article, welcome! The best way to stay on top of what we’re talking about is to subscribe to the RSS feed, sign… Keep reading…
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For Prince George’s County offices
Prince George’s County has a large number of competitive races because of term limits. The County Executive and 5 of the 9 councilmembers are term limited out, creating many open and competitive seats. These races are also critically important because of Prince George’s poor track record of development. Most of the county leaders have focused on bringing large… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Biking and driving and parking, oh my
First to share; War of words; Up the road; Struck around the world; California dreaming; Driven by economics; A free response; What the colors show. Keep reading…
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For District of Columbia Council
The DC Council races include some no-brainers, and some tougher calls. First, the no-brainers. Tommy Wells and Mary Cheh deserve your unhesitating vote. Mr. Wells, finishing his first term representing Ward 6 (Capitol Hill, H Street, Near Southeast, Southwest Waterfront) has made “livable, walkable” communities the lynchpin of his candidacy, both four years… Keep reading…
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For Montgomery County Council
I’ve found the Montgomery County Council frustrating. On important issues around growth, development and transportation, many councilmembers don’t take much of a stand and vote in unanimous or near-unanimous numbers even on controversial and vital issues. Many seem to prefer finding a consensus where they can vote unanimously or nearly-unanimously, regardless… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Park it
Who runs the Circulator; The wheels on the bikes; Stuck in park; Reap what you sow; Original art in transit; Making the grade; It’s high time; No more free parking. Keep reading…
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Columbia Heights Day and the DC State Fair
Last Saturday was Columbia Heights Day, which featured music, food, booths from lots of organizations and political candidates, kids’ activities, and more. My favorite parts were the mist tent, running into lots of people I knew, and the first annual DC State Fair. I also won third place in the “funkiest vegetable” category. But even people who didn’t get a ribbon and five… Keep reading…