Opinion Posts
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Putting parking over people: could Richmond’s new main library better serve the city?
Opinion: Richmond is looking to update its main library for the 21st century. So why do proposed plans for the $70 million renovation project include converting an entire floor to parking? Keep reading…
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Four Black men developed a Montgomery County suburb to provide a better life for some in their community. They received something very different in return.
In 1906, four African American men attempted to develop an elite suburb for African Americans along Wisconsin Avenue between Chevy Chase and Friendship Heights, Maryland. Despite facing intense hostility from adjacent white landowners, at least 28 people bought lots. However, their vision was ultimately undone using subtler methods, showing how nominally race-blind tools can serve racist ends. Keep reading…
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A proposed Richmond area “agrihood” pairs affordable housing and urban agriculture
Virginia is one step closer to its first-ever affordable “agrihood”. Happily Natural, Girls for Change, and the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust (MWCLT) have won a US Department of Agriculture planning grant to develop a nine-acre lot in the Chesterfield neighborhood of Bensley, just south of the Richmond city line. Keep reading…
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There’s one top priority with the street design of University Boulevard in Langley Park, and it’s not safety
Smart Growth America’s latest edition of Dangerous by Design examines the astonishing 62% increase in the deaths of people struck and killed while walking since 2009. Here is a look at one of the region’s particularly deadly corridors. Keep reading…
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Rent stabilization policy in Montgomery County has its role to play — but only if it’s done carefully
As rent in Montgomery County and across the country continues to soar, what role can rent stabilization policy play in addressing our housing crisis? Keep reading…
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A new Virginia study re-examines the connection between transit leadership and riders
A new study to be released next month looks at the ways transit board members can be better connect to the lived experience of people who rely on transit. Keep reading…
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When many malls are struggling, Greenbelt’s Beltway Plaza seems to be thriving. Why?
Built in 1963, Beltway Plaza in Greenbelt, Md. is a rare example of a medium-sized, indoor-outdoor mall that has stood the test of time, even as developers make plans for renovations. Keep reading…
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What a better transit system would mean for my small business
OPINION: An improved transit system in the region could be a boon for small business owners like myself. Here’s why. Keep reading…
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Richmond’s Pulse bus rapid transit gets the red carpet treatment
Thanks to a $2 million dollar grant from Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transit, Richmond will be among the first cities in the state to install red bus-only lanes. Keep reading…
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Why are there so few electric stoves?
Gas stoves have problematic environmental, health, and safety impacts, but we have the ability to change our culture in favor of electric. Keep reading…