I have mixed feelings about zoning, which may explain my thoughts about Donald Elliott’s new book about it, A Better Way to Zone. A land use law consultant in Colorado, Elliott’s book is dedicated to making “simplicity and understandability not just an aspiration but a guiding principle in zoning.” While I agree with much of […]
Rosslyn Redevelopment
Last Saturday I competed in second annual Real Estate Case Competition hosted by George Washington University’s Real Estate Investment & Development Organization. Sixteen universities created interdisciplinary teams to create detailed redevelopment proposals for a site in Rosslyn, Virginia slated for redevelopment. The property owners, Vornado/Charles E. Smith, participated in the judging of the entries and […]
Fixing America’s Federal Transportation Policy
Over the past 50 years, the U.S. has been transformed thanks to massive investment in the interstate highway system. Funded in large part by the federal gas tax, the federal government has set policies and allocated funds to states to construct the national network under a series of bills starting with the 1956 National Interstate […]
The Relevance and Irrelevance of Richard Sennett
If a contemporary economist views the city as “an absence of distance between people and firms,” Richard Sennett thinks the contrasts and conflict cities produce inspire innovation and drive their economies. Unfortunately, for too long urban planners have been stifling such conflict through their idealistic plans and heavy-handed regulations. But just what would it look like to create an “architecture of justice” that enriches urban life and convinces urban residents to live with less? And what are planners to do without their beloved regulations?
Does Washington Need a Planning Commission?
D.C. lacks a central body to review new construction and oversee the implementation of a city plan. Does it need one? If not, exactly who’s overseeing the planning anyhow?
Read about the alphabet soup reviewing new buildings in Washington, and two opposing viewpoints about whether the city needs a dedicated planning commission.
National Security Sprawl in … Spotsylvania?
Spotsylvania County, some 50 miles from Washington, is positioning itself in newspaper advertisements as the next logical place for defense contractors to locate.
Are federal rules pushing ‘security sprawl’ to the next frontier of suburban development?
O Street Market Redevelopment
The company redeveloping the historic O Street Market site in Shaw has released some architectural images. The project will contain apartments, condos, a hotel, senior affordable housing, and a new supermarket.