Do offices revitalize a neighborhood?

DC’s Department of Housing and Community Development is moving to Anacostia, to a site about eight blocks from the Metro, in an effort to revitalize the area. Richard Layman thought this was a mistake in 2005 when officials suggested moving WMATA headquarters to Anacostia, and argues that the 1986 Reeves Center at 14th and U doesn’t get credit for U Street’s success. (Plus, the Reeves Center is another example of bad urbanism, with an empty plaza and big garage entrances on the outside, and everything turned inward away from the street.)