After years of wrangling between affordable housing advocates, policy wonks, and real estate interests, D.C. has finally adopted a commonly-used approach to creating affordable housing. Known as “inclusionary zoning,” the policy requires developers include units reserved for low and moderate-income families when developing large residential projects. In exchange, developers are allowed to increase the density […]
APA Conference
I will be in Philadelphia this weekend from Friday, 4/13 to Monday, 4/16 to attend the American Planning Association 2007 National Planning Conference. I will be attending the “Revolutionize Citizen Participation Using Internet Technology” session on Saturday and the student reception that evening, as well as a variety of other sessions. Let me know if […]
Urban Planning and Web 2.0
I thought I would note I’ve posted an article about potential applications of Web 2.0 technologies in the field of urban planning to the Planetizen blog: Planetizen: How Can Planners Use the Web? I’ll keep a running list of my posts to Planetizen in the column on the left.
‘It’s Fun To Be In the O-R-D-E-R’
For those accustom to my usual topics about urbanism and D.C., permit me a brief digression about a University of Michigan “leadership” society with a controversial history, that recently re-named themselves from Michigamua to The Order of Angell. The Ann Arbor blog Left Behind in the Fishbowl has posted what appears to be a copy […]
Describing D.C.’s ‘National Security Sprawl’
To Deborah Natsios, the September 11, 2001 attack on Washington ushered in a new epoch of national security sprawl. She traces the evolution of “war sprawl” in the region: the city’s circumferential Civil War forts, suburban WWII facilities, Cold War beltway and missile placements, and exurban defense industry office campuses. In Natsios’ account, the September […]
Interesting Freeway Interchanges of the Capital Region
American taxpayers have spent trillions of dollars building freeways since the passage of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956. This network of freeways has re-shaped American cities, and arguably impacted the economy and culture of the country. While some enthusiasts find interest in the highway system’s endless strips of asphalt, for most […]
Pedestrian Promenade Proposed For 17th Street
My friend John pointed me towards a grassroots campaign advocating 17th Street NW between Massachusetts and New Hampshire Avenue be converted into a pedestrian-only street. While I am not generally an advocate of such streets and think there’s a whole host of measures that can be taken short of completely closing streets to traffic (medians, […]