Breakfast links: Gentrification and its discontents
Cui bono
The H Street streetcar is fulfilling its promise of driving a wave of new development on the corridor, even as it inches toward actually opening. Will longtime residents benefit from the new found prosperity or simply be displaced? (WAMU)
Gentrification is an anomaly
Change grabs our attention and generates headlines, but stagnation (or worse) is the norm when it comes to poor urban neighborhoods. Nearly 75% of 1970’s high-poverty neighborhoods were worse off in 2010. (CityLab)
Eminent domain for DC United?
Mayor Gray will send a soccer stadium bill to the DC Council today. The public would provide land and infrastructure worth $150 million, while the team would build the stadium for another $150 million. The District may have to use eminent domain to acquire two final parcels. (WAMU)
What’s the opposite of a crime wave?
Crime on Metro is down 31% compared to last year, with major declines in device snatches, bike thefts, and robberies. Meanwhile, bike thefts in Arlington are down 40% after a spike last year. (PoPville, ArlNow)
Bike safety stats
The League of American Bicyclists has released detailed data they’ve collected on fatal bicycle crashes. Key findings: driver error contributes to many more deaths than cyclist error, and rear-end collisions are especially deadly. (Vox)
The fastest grower is…
What eastern city grew the most from 2012 to 2013? Did you guess Gaithersburg? It added 4.4% population. Most of the fastest-growing cities are in Texas. (Post)
McAuliffe likes lanes
Terry McAuliffe will push to widen I-66 but not inside the Beltway, where he “ruefully” said Arlington leaders oppose the idea. (Inside NOVA)
Park(ing) shortage
As more people use Norwood Park in Chevy Chase, parking conflicts have mounted. Parks officials can’t do much in the short term, and high land values make creating new park space in Bethesda difficult. (BethesdaNow)
9/10 of the law
A Maryland woman has pleaded guilty to renting out a home she didn’t own. The Cheltenham house was vacant and in the foreclosure process, but the bank hadn’t taken title when the erstwhile realtor changed the locks. (WAMU)
And…
50 senators have signed a letter asking the NFL to force Washington’s football team to change its name. (WAMU) … A tiny Austrian town asked seven international architects to design new bus shelters, with stunning results. (CityLab)