Opinion Posts
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This Black History Month think of the power you wield
Decades after the Civil Rights movement, segregation and discrimination persist because a power imbalance still exists. This Black History Month, if you’re planning to do a day of service or support a Black-owned business, I encourage you to take it a step further and examine the power structures in your community. Keep reading…
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Here’s what we can do to make transit more equitable in DC
For Transit Equity Day three ANC commissioners discuss how to make transit in DC more equitable for all residents. Keep reading…
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A wishlist for where the DC Public Library should build its Ward 5 expansion
A new report from the DC Public Library is proposing a new library in the Edgewood/Eckington/Stronghold area. Here’s an early look at some potential locations for such a library, and how that might impact surrounding areas. Keep reading…
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Here’s a look at how zoning in Montgomery County can impact a neighborhood block by block
Montgomery County passed a lot of legislation in 2020 to address housing and zoning challenges, with more to come. But, the new year gives us a chance to look at some potential impacts of these changes and some of the stark differences between neighborhoods that share almost the same location – but have different zoning. Keep reading…
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A shoutout to Capital Bikeshare for making 2020 manageable
There wasn’t much to praise in 2020, but DC’s bikeshare program made a tough year a little easier. Keep reading…
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Why transportation advocates need to talk about seating
When we talk about increasing access to sustainable transportation, many street safety advocates fail to talk about placing benches with anywhere near the fervor with which we talk laying train track or building bike lanes. Keep reading…
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Don’t let violent extremism lay a permanent claim to public space and services
By most accounts, DC and federal authorities responded with the gravity needed to stop further pre-inauguration violence after Jan. 6. But the problem of political violence will not go away that quickly. How do we prevent political violence in the long term while preserving our access to public space? Keep reading…
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Video: What it’s like to get around the Capitol by bike since Jan. 6
A DC resident offers a glimpse into what it was like to navigate around the Capitol by bike before and after the riots on Jan. 6. Keep reading…
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How office development rules limit walkability in Tysons
While new developments in Tysons are improving the area’s density and walkability, some of them retain characteristics of the county’s historically suburban character. In particular, regulatory barriers prevent office development in Tysons from having the features of the most walkable pedestrian environments. But some buildings still retain characteristics of the county’s historically suburban character, and regulatory barriers prevent office development in Tysons from having the features of the most walkable pedestrian environments. Keep reading…
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DC and its residents are real. Lying about that helped enable Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol.
Are all Americans “real Americans”, or are some of us in a different category? It’s nothing new to hear national politicians question the “realness” of the residents of Washington, DC. And though the drumbeat of alarming, often conspiracy theory-driven events has escalated, yesterday’s events made it clear as day that fictionalizing a real place where people live and work as a “swamp” whose only purpose is nefarious has a profound cost. Keep reading…