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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Then and Now: 2932 W Street, SE
The home located at 2932 W Street, SE, was built in 1949 by architect Norman Kertzman. It is listed as being of cinder block construction and was valued at $18,000 at the time it was built. Kertzman came to the Washington area in 1939. He worked for other architects before establishing his own firm, which he operated on a full-time basis from the mid-1940s to mid-1970s. He retired to… Keep reading…
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DDOT presents Klingle trail progress
Planning for the Klingle Valley Trail is moving along, but there are still few details about some of the issues that most affect potential users. Keep reading…
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Residents want ped and bike Mount Pleasant Street
The Mount Pleasant ANC wants to transform Mount Pleasant Street into a “pedestrian encounter zone” and bicycle boulevard. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: The official word
Bus changes; Bikes exist, say national standards; On streetcars; SmartBenefits postponement official; Toll vote today; Get a boost from a bike wheel; Springfield Mall still moving. Keep reading…
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Tenleytown Safeway plan shows no signs of improving
After the heated debate at the November ANC 3E meeting, you might have expected an even fiercer confrontation this past Thursday. There were even promises of it. But it wasn’t. Instead, anger gave way to dismay at the lack of substantial improvements in the plans. While Safeway’s regional real estate manager Avis Black attended the meeting, she entrusted… Keep reading…
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Four visions of Wheaton, from new paint to tabula rasa
In 2004, Montgomery County followed up their 2001 Visual Preference Survey of Wheaton with a charrette, or design workshop, to turn residents’ suggestions into a vision for the community. The county teamed up with the National Main Street Center, Baltimore-based architecture firm Allison Platt & Associates, and staff from the Planning Department to develop four concepts… Keep reading…
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Late breakfast links: Movers and shakers
Streetcars make landfall; Know where you are on H; Bubble in a donut; Bye bye billboards; Tax break narrowly approved; Hit-and-run? Oh well; Over in federal-land; And of course. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: See the location
ART in real-time; Mission accomplished for camera; What color would you pick?; Filling the hole; Drive-thrus are so 20th century?; Just $1.677 billion to go; Big cuts at the MTA; How is Washington, DC like an investment bank?. Keep reading…
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Then and Now: Entrance of the National Zoo
Between 1926 and today, the entrance to the National Zoo has changed considerably. When the plan to revamp the National Zoo was unveiled in 1963, it aroused controversy (see below), causing the Smithsonian to reevaluate the plan prior to seeking approval from the Fine Arts Commission. Nonetheless, the major change of eliminating the roadways from the main entrance and moving… Keep reading…
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33-story “iconic building” proposed for Hyattsville
While LifeSci Village, Percontee’s proposed community of homes, shops and research facilities in Calverton, waits for Montgomery County’s approval, they are turning to Hyattsville, where they’ve envisioned one of the most ambitious urban redevelopment projects in the region. The existing Belcrest Plaza is a 1960’s-era garden apartment community… Keep reading…