Posts about Planning
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Tysons East wants to draw the “creative class,” and get them to stay
Lots of people come to the glitzy, suburban Tysons East neighborhood to work, but most of them leave as soon as the workday is over. Tysons wants to change that. Keep reading…
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Is underground housing a bad thing?
The Scottish Rite Masonic temple in Dupont Circle plans to build apartments on some empty space behind its building. One element of the project is two levels of apartments below the ground level. This has raised the question: is underground living an abomination, or something people can choose to pay for as they wish? Keep reading…
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NASA says space colonies should be urbanist
NASA has city planning guidelines that say future space cities should be exactly what urbanists advocate for here on Earth: walkable, transit-oriented, dense, and inclusive. Keep reading…
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Eat the rich, Reston edition
This sign comes from Rescue Reston, a group dedicated to preventing homes for people who need them, in favor of protecting views of a golf course. Keep reading…
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Here are 5 new infrastructure projects we’ll likely get with Amazon
Amazon's HQ21/2 is coming to Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard, an area that local officials dubbed “National Landing” to avoid writing out three neighborhood over and over again. Amazon’s arrival will mean at least $195 million in new transportation infrastructure from Virginia, on top of the $570 million it was already planning on investing into the area. Keep reading…
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As an Arlington resident, I’m excited about Amazon—and worried about housing costs
I am genuinely excited about the news that Amazon will locate half of its highly-coveted HQ2. I am ready to embrace the new vibrancy that will come to the “National Landing” neighborhood where I already live (in a place formerly called Pentagon City). Keep reading…
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Forget Crystal City, Amazon is coming to “National Landing”
According to some new press releases, half Amazon's second headquarters will be locating not in Crystal City, but in “National Landing.” You can be forgiven if you've never heard of that place before; a joint press release from Arlington and Alexandria says it's “a newly branded neighborhood.” Keep reading…
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Crystal City is (probably) ready for HQ2’s transformation
“Amazon has a chance for a fresh start… and those places have an opportunity to learn from Seattle's mistakes,” wrote the New York Times' Ben Casselman. This prospect should prompt local governments across the region to leverage this investment and implement plans that improve sustainability and equity, rather than reacting after the fact. Keep reading…
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Push for changes to a Capital Crescent Trail intersection where a cyclist died
Two years ago, a cyclist was tragically struck and killed by a driver at the intersection of the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) and Little Falls Parkway. After this incident, the local parks service reduced car lanes to one each way and lowered the speed limit. It has worked incredibly well, and Montgomery County should make the changes permanant. Keep reading…
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What our region can learn from walkable communities around the country (Part 1)
Back in March, urbanist author Philip Langdon came to The National Press Club to talk about his latest book, “Within Walking Distance.” Each lesson Langdon draws from the neighborhoods he studied can also be seen in action within the Washington region. Here are the first three. Keep reading…