Posts about Planning
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These maps show where the Washington region achieves walkable density
Density alone won’t produce an urban environment if you can’t walk to destinations. Keep reading…
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How big and how fast should Reston grow? Leaders will soon debate this question.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn recently called for an amendment of the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan for Reston. The Comp Plan is a sort of master document for the planning, development, and priorities for the census-designated area. The plan hasn’t been amended in five years. So what do these changes mean for the development of Reston? Keep reading…
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DC’s Comp Plan comes down to a lot of maps. Here’s why this one matters.
The Future Land Use Map—as stated on the map itself—is defined as “part of the Comprehensive Plan of the District of Columbia. Its color-coded categories express public policy on future land uses across the city. Preparation of this map is required by DC Law to ‘represent the land use policies set forth in the proposed Land Use Element,’ using ‘standardized colors for planning review.’” Keep reading…
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Tell DC what you think of its Comp Plan
The DC Office of Planning is making proposed amendments to the District’s 2006 Comprehensive Plan, a robust document which is basically a long term road map for how we interact with the city, from housing to transportation, and land use. You, as residents of the District, now have until Friday, Jan.10, to provide public comment. Keep reading…
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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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A Virginia delegate just proposed a state-wide upzoning bill
Virginia House Delegate Ibraheem Samirah, who represents parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties, has introduced a bill that would legalize duplex homes across the commonwealth in any area currently zoned for single-family housing. Like much of the region, Virginia faces a dire shortage of affordable homes, and Amazon’s arrival in the Crystal City area could make the crunch even worse in the years to come. Keep reading…
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We need more public restrooms in DC. But how do we make them usable for all?
DC is inching towards increasing its number of public restrooms with the passage of a 2018 law that would add two new facilities and incentivize business owners to open their bathrooms to the public. However, many public restroom designs aren’t accessible to many of their potential users. Keep reading…
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How much land is in each quadrant of the District?
How much of each of DC’s quadrants is land? Water? Parks? Military bases? The quadrants aren’t all equal. Far from it. I created this map using shapefiles from DC OCTO to illustrate how the areas differ. Keep reading…
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Historic housing policies segregated DC and hurt black residents. How do we do better now?
The District has a history of inequitable land use and housing policies that have resulted patterns of segregation that persist to this day. As the District seeks to update its Comprehensive Plan, a planning document which lays out how the city will develop in the years to come, it seeks to address these wrongs. Keep reading…
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Splitting their tickets between slates, Rockville voters don’t speak clearly on growth
On Election Day, Rockville voters chose between two slates of candidates, the generally more anti-new housing Rockville Forward slate and the generally more pro-growth Team Rockville slate. But instead of giving one slate the victory, voters split their ballots, re-electing Mayor Bridget Newton and electing or re-electing two councilmembers from each slate. Keep reading…