Breakfast links: 101 ways to make your city a little bit better
Public benches make cities more liveable by Caitlin Faw used with permission.
Just 101 small ways you can improve your city
Curbed put together a list of 101 actions you can take to make your city a better place. Actions include: redesigning a crosswalk, slowing down, or getting to know your neighbors. (Patrick Sisson and Alissa Walker / Curbed)
Speeding is a factor in over 50% of DC motor-vehicle deaths
Nationally, DC has the second-highest rate of speed-related deaths, after New Hampshire. In DC, 55% of speed-related crashes made up 55% of all motor-vehicle deaths in 2017. In Maryland it was 29% and in Virginia it was 26%. (Kristi King / WTOP)
The region’s apartment rents grew to an eight-year high in 2018
Across the Washington region, rent is expected to increase by 2% metro-wide in 2019, and between 2.5% and 2.75% in 2020 and 2021. Over the next 36 months, developers are expected to finish 38,188 apartment units in the Washington region, including 16,426 in DC. (Jon Banister / Bisnow)
Construction to begin on 907 mixed-income housing units in DC’s Ward 7
The developer of the 12-acre site on East Capitol Street and Minnesota Avenue plans to replace the current 461 affordable housing units with about 907 housing units, including 400 to 435 units of affordable housing. Existing residents will have the right to return and can receive a 10% discount if any for-sale housing is built. (Nena Perry-Brown / Urban Turf)
Virgnia prepares to finalize up to $750 million in incentives for Amazon
State lawmakers are considering a bill that would hand Amazon $22,000 for each new job it brings to the area over the next 15 years. The 25,000 jobs must have an average wage of $150,000 per year and increase by 1.5% each year after that. Arlington County will contribute up to $23 million in grant money over 15 years, taken from tax revenue on hotel stays. (Alex Koma / ARLnow)
See 40 years of Arlington County’s growth
Amateur photographer Tom Dickinson has taken about 10,000 photographs capturing how the prosperous suburb has transformed over the decades, from modest, affordable houses to McMansions, and from two-story apartment buildings to townhouses. (Mikaela Lefrak / WAMU)
Virginia lawmakers push for 12 weeks of paid family leave
Virginia State Senator Jennifer Boysko and State Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy are proposing to give all Virginia workers up to 12 weeks of annual paid family leave to care for a new child, medical condition, or ill family member. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)
MoCo poaches the head of Prince George’s Department of the Environment
Since 2012, Adam Ortiz is recognized for bringing innovations to Prince George's County Department of the Environment and helping move the county to the top of state rankings for recycling and waste diversion. Ortiz said he was drawn by the vision of new Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. (Rachel Chason / Post)
Why cities should be responsible for clearing sidewalks
While cities are responsible for clearing the snow from roads, most leave the sidewalks to homeowners, landlords, and businesses in the US. This means inconsistent quality in snow removal, which can endanger people walking. (Kathi Valeii / CityLab)
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