Posts about Planning
-
Lots of Fairfax communities are emphasizing transit and walkability. Why not Fair Oaks?
Fairfax is a big county with big plans. New transit lines accompanied with ambitious land use plans aim to transform areas like Tysons Corner, Reston, and Herndon in the northern half of the county, while the Embark Richmond Highway Plan is guiding growth in the southern portion. But what about the middle? Keep reading…
-
Here’s how much of the Washington region is off-limits to growth
The US urbanist community has been profoundly shewk by Minneapolis moving last week to end single-family zoning citywide. It raises the question: How much of the Washington region is locked into the least-intensive level of land use via the type of zoning that Minneapolis will now end? Keep reading…
-
Upzoning Arlington Ridge and Aurora Highlands could house Amazon employees—and then some
On the heels of the recent Amazon HQ2 announcement, important questions have been raised about how to accommodate the 25,000 new employees who will come to the Washington region. Our housing demand far outstrips the supply, even without Amazon. Keep reading…
-
Cemeteries are a matter of land use—and also a matter of justice
One of the most complicated (and perhaps uncomfortable) conversations people can have is about death. How will we choose to remember others or have others remember us? As urbanists, we can look at this topic from another lens too: the way we use land for our burial rituals, and how those practices might shift as our population grows and our housing shortage increases. Keep reading…
-
Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s seat of government, is too remote for most residents
Access to government is an essential part of a functioning democracy. When a county’s government is too far away from its citizens, it impedes many who would otherwise participate. Prince George’s County’s seat in Upper Marlboro is a particularly poor location. Keep reading…
-
Pentagon City’s plan for jobs-housing balance needn’t be sacrificed for HQ2
Amazon's second (or third, who's counting?) headquarters is coming to National Landing—or more precisely, the weird no-man's-land that currently separates Pentagon City from Crystal City. Building offices on this site will require rezoning a site currently slated to become 1,400 houses. Keep reading…
-
Despite protests, Reston is moving ahead with allowing more residents
Despite some strong backlash, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is moving ahead with its original proposal to rewrite part of its zoning code to allow for more growth in Reston. Increases to certain density caps suddenly became a contentious issue last year, even though they were just technical changes to fit with the updated Reston Master Plan. Keep reading…
-
What DC can learn from walkable communities around the country (Part 2)
Urbanist author Philip Langdon uses six neighborhoods around the country of varying density, age, urban character, and geographical location as case examples for which kinds of built environments lead to places that are walkable, community-oriented, pleasant to live in, and economically successful. Keep reading…
-
National links: Can we design cities to make people less lonely?
Loneliness is reaching epidemic levels, but these interventions could help cities foster connection. Minneapolis is set to pass a plan that would upzone the entire city and do away with single-family zoning. The FRA is finally allowing lighter passenger railcars made in Asian and European countries on US rails. Keep reading…
-
A grand Bicentennial project was partly built on Kingman and Heritage Islands. Now most traces have disappeared.
In the early 1970s, the District created a Bicentennial Commission to manage the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution. DC Mayor Walter Washington wanted the District to have its own Bicentennial project, focused on providing new opportunities to young people by creating activity centers, and drawing new tourist dollars to city coffers. Keep reading…