Posts about Planning
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To attract millennials, Loudoun County wants to build housing they can afford
As the demographics of people moving to the suburbs shifts, Loudoun County is attempting to create more housing options to address would-be residents’ unmet needs. While Loudoun has grown at a fast pace over the past few years, like many jurisdictions in the region it has an affordable housing crunch, and many young adults can’t afford to live in the area. Keep reading…
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Residential segregation wasn’t an accident — it was government policy
White and Black Americans are segregated not solely due to choices made by private individuals, but because of policies created and maintained by the government itself. On Monday night, GGWash hosted a discussion of The Color of Law, Richard Rothstein’s book about government-sponsored, or de jure, segregation. Keep reading…
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This plan aims to help Baltimore’s Penn Station reach its full potential. Will it really happen?
Pennsylvation Station is Baltimore’s main transit hub, which feeds Amtrak, MARC, local light rail, and bus lines into the city and the region. Despite its importance, the station is awkwardly situated and not very well connected with the rest of the city. Keep reading…
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Here’s how you can weigh in to make sure the Comp Plan will help, not hurt, housing production in DC
Amending DC’s 2006 Comprehensive Plan, the District’s foundational land use text, has been ongoing since 2016. The DC Council unanimously passed a revised Framework element, which sets the tone for the rest of the document, last October (we loved it!), but the Framework is only the first chapter of a 1,500-page doorstop. However! A public hearing on 24 additional elements is scheduled for November 12 and 13. Keep reading…
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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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Environmentalists and development: a complex relationship in a hyperbolic election season
In election races in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, candidates are claiming they “support the environment” or “are for smart growth.” Some of those candidates also seem to be against most development while others are more supportive. It’s hard to make sense of all this. What’s the green view of growth? Keep reading…
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Imagine being able to take a train to Great Falls. That was once reality.
Today, the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) is a paved bicycle trail used for fun and for commuting across Northern Virginia. Of course, the Washington & Old Dominion was originally a railroad — one with a long and convoluted history that helped form communities along it including Dunn Loring, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, and Ashburn. Keep reading…
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Why the Green Line in northern Prince George’s is a huge missed opportunity
Northern Prince George’s County is lined with walkable downtowns. Imagine if the Green Line served them, instead of park-and-rides. Keep reading…
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Tysons wants to transform into a bona-fide city. It won’t be easy.
What would you do if you were tasked with doubling the number of jobs and raising the number of residents from about 14,000 people to 100,000 in a city? Plus you need to add 113 million square feet of new construction (for reference, Tysons mall is two million square feet). And that city needs to be a bustling urban center at all hours. Keep reading…
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Here are seven ways Montgomery County is changing
More than 50 years ago, Montgomery County created a grand vision for how it would grow, called On Wedges and Corridors. It laid out the basic structure of Montgomery County, with development clustering around the Red Line and I-270, a big network of parks and open spaces, and a large agricultural reserve beyond that. However, our county looks very different than it did back then. Keep reading…