District of Columbia
Is Public Land the Key to Solving D.C.'s Affordability Crisis?
A new report argues that city-owned lands must be leveraged to increase D.C.'s stock of affordable housing, and indicts Mayor Gray's administration for not doing enough to keep up with increasing demand.
Could Residences Soon Be Found in the Shadow of the National Mall?
A 22 acre parcel of federal buildings located within spitting distance of the National Mall could transform the heart of the Nation's Capital, as the GSA seeks ideas from developers on how to use its many current and soon-to-be abandoned buildings.
As Other Cities Cut, D.C. Reaps a Surplus
For the second year in a row, Washington D.C. is ending its fiscal year in the black, raising hopes that prior cuts to city services can be reversed. So why are city leaders planning to bulk up the city's savings instead?
D.C.'s Metro Reaches Out to Riders to Help Plan Its Future
Beset by chronic safety problems and rising fares, Metro is looking beyond its immediate concerns by focusing on the future, and asking its customers to help it plan for how the system should grow over the next 30 years.
Could D.C. Ever Be Hip?
Forbes may think differently, but Washington D.C.'s residents know very well that their city isn't cool, writes Rebecca Greenfield. She discusses the structural reasons why D.C. is not, and never will be, hip.
Which Metro Area Boasts 7 of the 10 Most Affluent Counties in America?
New rankings from the 2011 American Community Survey released Thursday show that the residents of the D.C. area have benefited from an economy built on "the federal government, its legions of contractors and a flourishing high-tech sector."
Can D.C.'s Mies Masterpiece Be Saved Without Being Sullied?
Philip Kennicott reviews plans to modernize Washington D.C.'s aging Martin Luther King Memorial Library, the city's only building designed by famed architect Mies van der Rohe, and his only library ever constructed.
For DC and NY, Efforts to Improve Rail Stations Take Opposite Tracks
While the decades long effort to augment and improve New York's atrocious Penn Station have stalled, D.C. is moving ahead with plans to expand Union Station and redevelop the land above its tracks. Fred A. Bernstein looks at the two projects.
Transit-Oriented Gentrification
In the the first of a 2-part series on transit and gentrification, WAMU's Martin Di Caro reports on the rapidly developing (and gentrifying) Georgia Avenue corridor in Washington D.C.
How Has 9/11 Changed America's Built Environment?
On this sombre anniversary, we bring you an article that was published last year by Kaid Benfield, looking at the legacy of 9/11 for community & the built environment.
Detailing DC's Shift to Walkable Urbanism
Walkable urban places are poised to "put a foundation under the economy as well as government tax revenues," concludes Christopher Leinberger in a new report. Better! Cities & Towns delivers some highlights from his much anticipated study.
With Town Center Projects, Can the Suburbs Challenge Cities Yet Again?
Chasing the widespread interest in city living, developers are exporting mixed-use urbanism to the suburbs and exurbs as "town center" projects, prompting Jonathan O’Connell to ask if "a city can be a city if it’s built in the middle of a cornfield."
In D.C., Crime Prevention Starts at the Drafting Table
What's a better way to ensure lower crime than to involve police directly in the planning process? One development in Washington, D.C. will do just that.
Walkable Urbanism Sets the Pace for Real Estate Recovery
As the real estate market comes back to life, walkable urbanism is poised to become the dominant mode of development across America. Emily Badger explains why Washington D.C.'s land use evolution portends the future of cities everywhere.
Civic Watch Program in D.C. Raises Privacy Concerns
What expectations for privacy should individuals have in public places? That is the question being posed by a new video surveillance system in D.C. being operated by a neighborhood association, reports Peter Hermann.
DC Planning Director Harriet Tregoning on Smartly Bridging the Anacostia River
DC Planning Director Harriet Tregoning discusses plans to create a pedestrian-oriented space out of the 11th Street Bridge as part of a larger goal of uniting DC around the Anacostia River, making it an amenity and not a barrier.
Demobilizing the "War on Cars"
Herb Caudill explains why the need to plan for a range of transportation modes and uses of space in urban environs is common sense - not part of a concerted assault on cars.
Dense Re-Vision for D.C.'s Neglected Waterfront Extends onto the Water
A 52-acre development planned for Washington, D.C.'s isolated Southwest Quadrant hopes to create a 21st century waterfront by embracing the elements that have contributed to creating lively urban waterfronts for centuries, reports Kriston Capps.
Court of Appeals Deals Second Blow to EPA on Clean Air Regs
For the second time, a court has thrown out EPA efforts to address pollution from power plants in 'clean-air' states that cause pollution downwind. This time, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was the victim.
Amtrak Service Dominates D.C. to Boston Travel Market
Long lines at airport security and weather delays have contributed to Amtrak's commanding travel mode share between D.C. and NYC, and majority share between NYC and Boston, but the lead is threatened by the competition and aging infrastructure.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
