Breakfast links: Make it better
Transform Franklin
Franklin Square could get a complete makeover to be a more inviting, “thriving” place like New York’s Union Square. Local and federal officials put out an RFP for a landscape designer to devise a few possibilities. (WBJ)
Baltimore Penn gets its own plan
Amtrak plans for mixed-use, transit oriented development around Baltimore’s Penn Station and tie together neighborhoods. The early plans include housing and commercial space. (Baltimore Sun)
Metro sequestered
WMATA lost $8 million in funding from the sequester and may lose $10 million more if federal employees are furloughed. WMATA may defer some projects and considering closings some station mezzanines on weekends. (Post)
Senate to the rescue
The Senate has restored transportation funding to the tune of $500 million for highways and $100 million for transit that the House cut. (WAMU)
Too many apartments?
Montgomery County’s economic development director thinks too many apartments are being built and will oversaturate the market, but builders and GMU’s Lisa Sturtevant think the need is strong for the long term. (WBJ, Gull) (Tip: Gull)
Food trucks chafe at rules
Food truck operators aren’t happy about new regulations that could limit how many go at once to popular spots like Farragut Square. (Examiner) … One food truck is closing down and blames DC bureaucracy, though it also just sounds like he wasn’t making enough money. (City Paper)
Need more than nightlife
Entertainment districts can be lively places on Friday and Saturday nights, but can be too quiet the rest of the time if they are too heavily single use. Cities should focus on being places people live, not just visit. (Strong Towns)
And…
Donald Shoup talks about the SFPark experiment. (Freakonomics, Thad) … The Washington Times is getting its own cable channel. (DCist) … Ever get annoyed with other pedestrians? How about issuing them penalty cards? (Atlantic Cities)