Breakfast links: Building near Metro

Southwest becoming more livable, walkable

The mixed-use Waterfront Station, including a Safeway, has opened in Southwest, repairing a bit of the damage from 1950s urban renewal. People are excited. Also, Lisa Rein does a nice job with an article containing no backhanded slaps at urbanism whatsoever (Post) … And speaking of reporters we’ve criticized, Adam Tuss notes that no, DC isn’t actually anti-car. (WTOP)

Will Grumman be near Metro? Does Leggett know Metro exists?

Northrop Grumman has chosen Virginia, not surprisingly, and between two sites, one near Metro in Ballston and one nowhere near Metro in Falls Church (WBJ) … In his statement of disappointment, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett touted the County’s greenfield efforts but made no mention of more infill development like White Flint. (MPW)

Tickets getting overturned. Problem?

The Examiner found that 3/5 of people who challenge tickets are successful, though only a small number do. Overworked adjudication staff could be part of the reason. The useful followup would be to gauge whether the overturned tickets were wrongly issued in the first place and why, or whether the adjudicators are wrongly letting people off the hook. (Examiner)

Battle of the colors

Jack Evans is saying he may bow out of the race for Council Chair, but Vincent Orange could run if Evans doesn’t. IMGoph is no fan of Orange, but it’d at least be good to have some competition so that the race can actually involve a debate over the future of the Council. (DC Wire)

Next up, bottles?

Tommy Wells and environmentalists might next tackle plastic bottles, now that the bag fee has been working so well. Bottle deposit? (NewsChannel 8 via Loose Lips Daily)

Too much preservation in NYC?

The debates over whether we’re landmarking too much aren’t just in DC. Ed Glaeser argues that New York has too many historic districts, limiting development and keeping housing prices high. However, New York actually puts development far above preservation in most cases. (City Journal, Madison)  (Tip: Madison)

And…

It’d be nice for cities if we abolished states, but absent that, how about channeling some federal money through MPOs instead of just states? (BeyondDC) … A much-acclaimed condo project in Alexandria won’t get built (DCmud) … And while the policy arguments failed, budget considerations may force the end of subsidized parking at the Rockville library. (Gazette)