Construction around Nationals Park in DC. by Tim Brown licensed under Creative Commons.

The process of updating DC’s Comprehensive Plan, the District’s foundational land use text, has been ongoing since 2016. The DC Council will hold a hearing on amendments to the rest of the Comp Plan on November 12 and 13, and we want to help you prepare to testify.

Join Greater Greater Washington. the Coalition For Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers, Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Coalition, and United Planning Organization to learn about what the Comp Plan update is, why it’s important, and how to testify “effectively.”

The conversation begins at 4 pm, Tuesday. This event is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

Tuesday, October 27

What exactly is comprehensive planning? Five former directors for DC’s Office of Planning will be on hand to discuss DC’s Comprehensive Plan is and why it’s important to the growth of the District. Panelists will talk about “the practice of comprehensive planning and will look forward at the way in which the proposed revision to the Comprehensive Plan positions the District for a new set of challenges.” This Zoom discussion, hosted by Georgetown University, begins at 9 am Tuesday. Click here to register.

Wednesday, October 28

Join the Smart Growth Social: Like many organizations, the Coalition for Smart Growth won’t be holding their annual party in person. Instead, it will be on Zoom. But that doesn’t mean it can’t have an impact. The Keynote speaker this year is Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America, the transportation arm of Smart Growth America. Learn how you can get involved to create more sustainable and inclusive communities. The conversation begins at 7 pm Wednesday. Click here for more information.

How to make the energy sector more equitable: OurEnergyPolicy.org is hosting a moderated panel about “creating a more equitable and affordable energy sector.” Speakers include Michael K. Dorsey, Co-Founding Partner of IberSun Solar; Tony G. Reames, Associate Professor of Energy Justice, at the University of Michigan; and Devra Wang, Program Directo at the Heising-Simons Foundation. The discussion will be from 12 to 1 pm Wednesday. Click here for more information.

Monday, November 9

Learn about the entitlement process: Mary Beth Avedesian, Senior Vice President of Saul Centers Inc., a DC development firm, will discuss how the company purchased a 2.8 acre site six years ago, and how it became the Waycroft, a 12-story mixed-use development with 491 apartment units and 60,000 sq. ft. of retail, including an urban-format Target store. Avedesian will unpack how the company went through an entitlement process that involved input from “county staff, neighbors, and community leaders.” Click here for more information about this event. Attendance costs $10.

Check out more urbanist events at ggwash.org/calendar. Do you have an event you’d like to see featured in the weekly events post? Submit it here

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George Kevin Jordan was GGWash's Editor-in-Chief. He is a proud resident of Hillcrest in DC's Ward 7. He was born and raised in Milwaukee and has written for many publications, most recently the AFRO and about HIV/AIDS issues for TheBody.com.