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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WMATA budget deep dive, part 7: Items with little impact
While fares and service are the big dogs when it comes to the WMATA FY 11 budget, there are other measures that can impact the bottom line. Among these are advertising, retail, MetroAccess, and parking. Advertising: The first idea most riders jump to upon hearing of the budget gap is more advertising. Unfortunately, advertising revenues will likely drop substantially in FY11,… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Remaining snow, coming storms
Rock Creek branch storage path; Speak up on the Fairfax budget; BLT or fries at White Flint?; Outer Beltway bill rises from the dead; Designs for Four Mile Run expansion; Yummy soot; And…. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Secrets and plans
Problems aren’t secret, solutions shouldn’t be; Hearing a better snow plan; Town Centers the future of suburbs?; Recycle, really; New Arlington bike map; Them’s the breaks?; Funding runs out at USDOT. Keep reading…
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Brunch links: The quality of local coverage
Dr. Anti Anti-Car; Not enough war on drivers?; Dr. Understanding Parking; Oh, snap, but no; Now really not street-facing; And…. Keep reading…
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Then and Now: The Kenesaw
The Kenesaw, located between 16th, Mt. Pleasant, and Irving Streets, has certainly been no stranger to controversy over the years. It was designed by architects George W. Stone and Frank L. Averill. When a building permit was sought for the structure in March 1905, the District Commissioners met and refused to grant one, stating that they wanted the land to be used as a park… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Rolling backward
No more rollback; Anti-transit GOP; Not another parking lot; Parking full, no Metro for you; Farmers markets may become accessible to poor; Bixi pix; Leggett again chooses against walkability. Keep reading…
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Lost Washington: Washington Airport
Before there was National Airport, there was the Washington Airport at Hoover Field. It was established in 1926 and located just west of today’s intersection of the George Washington Parkway and the 14th Street Bridge. The terminal, constructed in 1930, was built in the International Style and designed by architects Holden, Stott & Hutchinson. It was a frame… Keep reading…
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Giving Upper Northwest a bad (neighborhood) name
I’ve never really cared for the name of the neighborhood in which grew up, “North Cleveland Park.” Possibly because I didn’t grow up in North Cleveland Park. No, apparently I grew up in “Wakefield.” Unfortunately, I did not know that until I was 23. And understandably: the name is forgettable. It lacks the hanger-on cachet of “North… Keep reading…
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Morning links: The axe starts to fall
MWAA, the Fairfax disconnector; Transit cuts will mean gridlock every day; Arlingtonians will have to shovel too; Klein not in sync with Rein’s sprawl dreams; OP vs. neighbors, reversed; A bicycle IS a transportation device; In other news. Keep reading…
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Imagine an infill station at Lamond-Riggs
Northern DC has a huge swath of relatively dense, urbanized areas with little direct access to Metro, including the Petworth, 16th Street Heights, Brightwood, Manor Park, and Lamond Riggs neighborhoods. The reason for this situation is the lack of any line running underneath Georgia Avenue, which once had a streetcar. There are commercial corridors along this route on Georgia… Keep reading…