Events roundup: Tours by foot and bike

This week, talk about the future of Florida Avenue, tour Braddock Road by foot and Prince George’s on bike, and hear supershort presentations about urbanism at events across the region.

The shortest slideshows ever: The DC chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism resumes their regular social hour and 20x20 series this Thursday. 20x20s, also called pecha kucha, are presentations with 20 slides in 20 seconds each.

Thursday’s presenters include Emily J. Brown talking about the need for collaboration between urbanists and economic developers, Lisa Nisenson, who’s worked in urban planning at every scale except as an elected official, and Jonathan Weidman presenting on his start up, Two Wheel Valet. You can join CNUDC at the H Street Country Club, located at 1335 H Street NE, for social hour at 6pm, followed by the presentations at 7pm.

After the jump: events in DC, Alexandria, Prince George’s County, and Silver Spring.

The future of Florida Avenue Also on Thursday, join DDOT for its second public workshop where you can provide input on how to improve multi-modal transportation options on Florida Avenue NE. Planners are studying ways to make the corridor from New York Avenue to H Street and Benning Road safer and more enjoyable for all users. DDOT will provide updates on the study’s progress and take more input from the community.

The event starts at 7pm at the Jordan Student Academic Center at Gallaudet University, located at 800 Florida Avenue NE. For more information, visit the Florida Avenue Study website.

Two tours of Braddock Road: This Saturday, you have two options to experience the changes going on around the Braddock Road Metro station. At 10am, join the Coalition for Smarter Growth for its last walking tour of the 2013 season. They’ll look at the new community center, large park, and mixed-use development in the neighborhood, while talking about issues like affordable housing, urban form, and social transition in and around the historically black Parker-Gray neighborhood.

The tour kicks off at the Braddock Road Metro station in Alexandria, on the Blue and Yellow lines. To attend, please RSVP for this event at CSG’s website.

In the afternoon, the American Planning Association’s GALIP division (Gays and Lesbians in Planning) will host another walking tour beginning at 2pm. Their tour will focus on the impact of the city’s updated Braddock Road Metro Small Area Plan on the neighborhood, with a focus on the redeveloped James Bland housing project. Afterwards, they’ll stop for lunch at Teaism at 682 North St. Asaph Street, a short walk away. To RSVP, email Brian at brian@galip.org.

Explore Prince George’s by bike: YIPPS (Young Innovative Professional Planning Superstars) will host a bike ride through northern Prince George’s County on Saturday. The tour kicks off from the West Hyattsville Metro station at 10am and will pass through Mount Rainier, Bladensburg, University Park, and Hyattsville. Speakers will talk about the neighborhoods, planning initiatives, community organizations, and development projects that are working to celebrate the history, ecology, and diversity of the county while promoting new investment and economic development in the area.

The tour will end with late drinks by the Prince George’s Plaza Metro station at 2pm. To RSVP for this free event, fill out this form.

Shop and talk transit: Also on Saturday, the Action Committee for Transit stops by Fenton Street Market, the craft market in downtown Silver Spring, to talk about transit and pedestrian issues in Montgomery County. There will also be fun activities for kids, including coloring and artwork on display. Join them from 10am to 12:30pm at the market, located in Veterans Plaza at the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in Silver Spring.