Breakfast links: How we house
Photo by Roger Smith on Flickr.
Housing boom
High demand for new housing in DC is driving a construction boom. More residential construction permits have been issued in DC so far this decade than in any full 10-year decade since at least 1960. (District, Measured)
Rent disparity
New apartment construction is almost all luxury, and it’s keeping luxury apartment rents down nationwide. Meanwhile, prices for more modest apartment buildings are increasing as it’s tough to build new apartments at lower price points. (WSJ)
Commutes between counties
70% of workers in DC live elsewhere, the highest rate among counties in the country. Here’s what the rest of the country looks like, according to the latest census numbers. (Post)
A history of public pools
DC’s history helps explain why it has more public swimming pools per capita than any other city. In the 1930s, DC did something highly unusual: they built two state-of-the-art public pools for black residents that became beacons of their communities. (NPR)
Buses for the region
Metrobus started in 1973, but counties and cities in the region soon formed their own bus systems. What role should WMATA play in providing bus service to the region? The question dates back to 1997. (PlanItMetro)
The name stays
According to the team president, Washington’s football team is not willing to change their name to get a new DC stadium. But Mayor Bowser is still working to woo the team back to the city. (City Paper)
Football facility fail
Attendance at the DC football team’s training camp in Richmond dropped 44% from last year. The city built the $10 million facility in hopes it would bring other economic benefits. Now it’s starting to look like a bad investment. (Post)
And…
On Monday, Metro added a fourth 7000-series train to the system, this time to the Green Line. (Progressive Railroading) … Was that Metro? Take this quiz to test your knowledge on subway system blunders across the country. (Post) … Alexandria has a draft bicycle network plan that would add a ton of new bike lanes. (WashCycle)