District of Columbia
Trend Alert: Church-Oriented Development
A mixed-use development being proposed for the First Baptist Church's property in downtown Silver Spring is just the latest in a series of similar projects across the D.C. suburbs that are pitting congregations against preservationists.
Is it Time to Ditch Zoning?
As mixed-use development increasingly supersedes single-use development, Roger K. Lewis argues that we should retire the word "zoning" and its outdated "characterization of how we plan and shape growth."
Can D.C. Become America's 'Healthiest, Greenest and Most Livable' City?
With the release of his new "Sustainable D.C." plan, Mayor Vincent Gray has outlined dozens of initiatives "that he hopes will vastly change how residents and visitors experience and travel across the city," reports Tim Craig.
Enliven Nightlife to Attract Millenials
Montgomery County wants to be the life of the party. To do so, it's establishing a special taskforce to boost its nighttime economy and attract millenials, reports Bill Turque.
Another D.C. Suburb Aims to Densify
The D.C. suburbs seem to be fertile ground for some of the nation's most ambitious retrofit projects. The latest plan to be made public would transform a 1950's era apartment and retail complex in Silver Spring, reports Jonathan O'Connell.
D.C.'s new HOT Lanes off to a Slow Start
Recent financial disclosures from the company that operates the Capital Beltway's new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in northern Virginia show that the lanes lost $11.3 million in their first six weeks of operation with fewer users than expected.
The Man Who Would Plan Washington
The blog Greater Greater Washington has been instrumental in furthering the discussion of land use in D.C. Rachel Weiner profiles its controversial founder, David Alpert, whose lack of formal planning experience is no impediment to his ambitions.
What's Next for Alexandria's Waterfront?
The pending sale of historic industrial buildings in Alexandria is seen as crucial to spurring the Virginia city's waterfront redevelopment, and "fulfilling a new vision for the area."
District of Columbia Challenges Feds on Climate Action
The District of Columbia is challenging the federal government on climate action, with lawmakers proposing to outlaw a local coal-burning power plant that powers Congress.
Creating a Defined Urban Core Just Outside the Nation's Capitol
Montgomery County planner John Marcolin details the ongoing creation of an urban core in Silver Spring, Maryland, the thriving unincorporated area just northeast of Washington, D.C.
Ambitious Plan Seeks to Guide D.C.'s Metro Into a New Era
A draft long-range Strategic Plan for Washington D.C.'s Metro aims to adapt one of the nation's busiest transit systems to the needs of a growing region, at a cost of $26 billion.
Did Obama Inaugurate D.C.'s 'Heightened Hipness'?
Rachel L. Swarns traces D.C.'s transformation into a younger and livelier city to when a former senator from Illinois moved into a stately mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue, and brought with him urbane tastes and an iPod filled with Nicki Minaj.
Could the Bloom be off D.C.'s Boom?
Annie Lowrey looks at how the taxpayer funded expansion of private contracting for the federal government turned D.C. from "national embarrassment" to creative class hot spot, and why those boom days may be coming to an end.
The Story Behind the Best Bike-Share Program in the U.S.
Tom Vanderbilt discusses the development of D.C.'s Capital Bikeshare program - the nation’s largest, most successful bike-share service - which "was essentially born late one night, two decades ago, in a library."
Trainjacking America's Finance Industry
Acela has improved connectivity along the Northeast Corridor, but is that actually a good thing? Aaron M. Renn argues that high-speed rail has actually hurt America by giving the finance industry a stranglehold over fiscal and monetary policies.
Popular Refuge Demonstrates Value of Silence in the City
As recent reports show, there's little opportunity for escaping the growing din of the man-made world. The popularity of a silent retreat built in the middle of D.C. demonstrates a growing appreciation for the sounds of silence.
D.C. to Push the Envelope of Sustainability With 'Living Building' Project
Already an urban leader in sustainability with one of the most stringent green building laws in the country, Washington D.C. announced last week that it will create the city’s first “living building” as part of the Sustainable D.C. Budget Challenge.
George Washington Bashes America's First Starchitect
A letter written by George Washington that is set to be auctioned by Christie's details the founding father's conflicting views of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, diva designer of the District of Columbia.
GSA Proposes a Trade for D.C.'s Unloved Hoover Building
The FBI may get the new building it's been clamoring for, and developers may get a prime opportunity on D.C.'s most prestigious avenue, if a recent proposal by the GSA comes to pass. But what will happen to one of the city's last Brutalist buildings?
D.C. Debates How to Clean its Storm Water
The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority wants to revise a settlement reached eight years ago with environmental groups that would have seen the agency build three huge tunnels to manage storm water runoff. The Authority would like to build green systems.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
