District of Columbia

Sign above entrance of United States Department of Transportation.

Has Anyone at USDOT Read Donald Shoup?

USDOT employees, who are required to go back to the office, will receive free parking at the agency’s D.C. offices — flying in the face of a growing research body that calls for pricing parking at its real value.

March 28, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Colorful rowhouses in Washington, D.C.

DC Residents Want Affordability Over ‘Character’

A poll finds that most residents want to see changes in zoning and land use laws that unlock more housing construction in the District and improve affordability.

February 26, 2025 - Greater Greater Washington

Washington DC Metro subway platform with passengers waiting and blurred train passing.

Mobile App Makes DC Transit Easy to Navigate for Visually Impaired Riders

The app gives step-by-step directions and audio and visual cues accessible from anywhere for thousands of bus stops and rail stations.

February 13, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Office buildings in downtown Washington, D.C.

DC Announces ‘Office to Anything’ Adaptive Reuse Program

The program complements an existing residential conversion initiative and could yield up to 2.5 million square feet of new commercial space.

January 23, 2025 - ABC 7 News

Person on bike on path next to Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. with fall foliage in background across river.

DC Launches New Round of E-Bike Rebates

District residents can apply for a subsidy of up to $1,500 to purchase e-bikes.

January 17, 2025 - WUSA9

Fast-moving traffic lights on freeways in Washington, D.C. with Washington Monument in background at dusk.

A Potential Path for Road Pricing in DC

How might cordon pricing impact DC drivers and transit users?

January 15, 2025 - Greater Greater Washington

National Mall in winter with snow and people walking around, Washington Monument obelisk visible in background.

DC Shelters Brace for Extreme Cold

Homeless service providers are conducting outreach to help bring people indoors ahead of a potentially life-threatening winter storm.

January 7, 2025 - Washington 7News

Blurred train in motion passing through underground station in Washington, D.C.

DC Suburban Light Rail Expansion Prompts Mixed-Use Development

The Purple Line’s expansion into Maryland suburbs in 2027 has spurred TOD along the line.

December 23, 2024 - Public Square

Red Capital Bikeshare bikes at a station in Bethesda, Maryland.

DC Bike Share Growing Fast, But Regional Gaps Remain

The wildly popular system ‘frays at its geographic edges,’ making its use less effective outside the central District.

December 3, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Red Washington, D.C. Metrobus Circulator bus parked at stop near Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.

DC Metro Targets Bus Fare Evasion

The WMATA says roughly 70 percent of riders do not pay fares.

November 26, 2024 - NBC Washington

View of multistory apartment buildings in Washington, D.C. at dusk.

Where Are Rents Growing Fastest?

The Washington, D.C. region saw the nation’s fastest rent growth in the last year.

October 29, 2024 - The Washington Post

Nighttime view of blurred fast car traffic on street leading to U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, D.C.

DC’s Traffic Cameras Are Working, but Not a Panacea

Automated enforcement is reducing speeding, but bigger changes to street design and the built environment are needed to make the District’s streets safer and more pleasant for people walking.

October 22, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Main building at old Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus in Washington, D.C.

Former DC Army Garage Gets New Life

The fortress-like underground structure posed unique challenges to engineers redeveloping a former U.S. Army complex.

October 20, 2024 - CoStar News

WMATA bus stop with sign and no bench or shelter in Washington, D.C.

DC’s Hottest Neighborhoods Have the Least Shade

Areas most exposed to extreme heat also tend to lack bus shelters and benches at bus stops.

October 4, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Aerial view of Washington, D.C.

DC Council Moves to Roll Back Renter Protections as Affordable Housing Providers Struggle

The District could tighten the rules for a pandemic-era housing assistance program and speed up the eviction process.

September 30, 2024 - The Washington Post

Row of red CaBi bikes at Capital Bikeshare station in Washington, D.C.

DC Micromobility Use Keeps Growing

Capital Bikeshare saw its fourth straight month of record ridership.

September 25, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Washington, D.C. Bus Lane

DC Improving Transit Equity

The Transit Equity Dashboard reveals a more marked improvement in transit access in the District of Columbia than in other metro areas.

September 12, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

For Rent sign in window on white tiled wall.

DC Affordable Housing Faces ‘Existential Crisis’

Housing developers in the District say the industry is on the verge of collapse due to ballooning unpaid rent debts.

September 10, 2024 - Bisnow

Wide shot of group of people with bikes standing in plaza near U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Biking Outpaces Transit Use in DC

D.C. residents and visitors take as many as 30 million trips on bikes or shared mobility, yet bike lanes cover just one quarter of one percent of the District’s streets.

September 4, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Aerial view of Alexandria, Virginia from over Potomac River

Alexandria Is Close to Fixing Its Sewage Woes

After 16 months and $615 of tunneling, Alexandria, Virginia is nearly finished digging a 2.2-mile-long tunnel beneath the city and the Potomac River that will fix its sewage overflow problem.

August 29, 2024 - Inside Climate News

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.