Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein offers his ideas for a fleet of ferries shuttling passengers across the Potomac river.
"Here's an idea that could boost the tourist industry, alleviate traffic, encourage smart growth and open neglected urban areas for development while helping to unify an often fractured region: Water taxis."
"Transportation planners have been talking for decades about water transport, but it's been slow going. There are the charter cruises from the Southwest waterfront up and down the Potomac, the daily cruises down to Mount Vernon and more regular service from Georgetown to Old Town. And starting next April, with the opening of the first phase of National Harbor, there will be regular service across the Potomac to Alexandria and back"
"Other metropolitan areas have more experience and success integrating water transport into daily life. Think of New York, London, Paris, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Sydney and Vancouver, to name a few. Their networks of ferries and water taxis not only provide pleasant and convenient alternatives to cars, buses and subways, but like highway exits and train stations, act as magnets for development or recreation. They have helped to reorient life in cities that had turned their backs on waterfront areas and allowed them to decay."

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Has President Trump Met His Match?
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‘Stockholm Tree Pit’ Saves Dying Urban Trees
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Analysis: Just 5 Percent of Detroit Bus Stops Have Shelters
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Fair Housing Funding Cuts Open Door to Discrimination, Advocates Say
Federal cuts to grants for fair housing advocacy organizations could lead to ‘widespread’ housing discrimination as enforcement resources are reduced.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Edmonds
City of Albany
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research