District of Columbia
Has Our Crush on Cars Run Its Course?
Ashley Halsey III probes the end of America's monogamous love affair with the automobile, as a younger generation experiments with alternative transportation lifestyles.
Will Gehry Revisions Placate Memorial Critics?
Frank Gehry unveiled revisions to his controversial design for a proposed memorial honoring Dwight D. Eisenhower this week, in an effort to appease a chorus of critics that includes Ike's own family, reports Lonnae O'Neal Parker.
D.C.'s Rapidly Disappearing Affordable Housing
In a city that survived the recession better than most, efforts to meet the demand for upscale housing will "change the face of the city for decades to come," reports Annys Shin.
Can LivingSocial Help Establish D.C. as a Tech Hub?
Ken Archer opines on whether proposed tax incentives being offered by D.C. to retain the corporate offices of website LivingSocial are a smart trade-off amongst a backdrop of sparse public resources.
D.C.'s Proposed Palace Courts Controversy
Justin Jouvenal tells of plans for a 25,424-square-foot mansion modeled on the Palace of Versailles, to be built in a Washington D.C. suburb, that's causing a collision between "new and old ideas about the way Washington expresses its success."
D.C. Makes Plans to Go Green, Starting With Rooftop Farms
Tim Craig explores one developer's efforts to start the ball rolling on the capital's new 20-year sustainability goals.
Temporary Projects Seek to Inspire Long-Term Change in DC
Lydia DePillis spotlights a host of temporary projects in D.C., from a shipping container fairgrounds to a three-month-long arts event, which have residents, leaders, and organizers seeing vacancy as an opportunity, and permanence as optional.
A Facelift for the Nation's Front Lawn
Kaid Benfield laments the capital's "blah"-inspiring National Mall, and discusses three design competitions underway that could give it a second life.
Are DC's Strict Height Limits and Arbitrary Planning Rules Hurting the City?
Two commentaries pick up on the recent push to loosen Washington D.C.'s notoriously conservative height limits, and argue that such controversial changes are overdue and, in fact, don't go far enough.
Push to Loosen D.C. Height Limits Gains Momentum
Tim Craig reports on a new push by federal and city officials to relax Washington D.C.'s building height restrictions, reopening decades-old debates about the look, feel and character of the city.
Design Guidelines for Creating More Equitable Cities
Kim O'Connell reports on a new set of design guidelines, produced by Gallaudet University, the nation’s leading institution for the deaf and hard of hearing, that recognize space is an essential part of how people with hearing challenges communicate.
Are Bikes Becoming Too Popular in DC?
Katie Rogers reports on Washington D.C.'s struggles with a burgeoning bicycle culture, as incidents of accidents, harassment, and intimidation rise.
The Challenges of Memorializing
In light of the recent controversy surrounding the Eisenhower Memorial in Washington DC, and observations from a recent trip to Japan, Christopher Hawthorne pens an opinion piece on memorials - the "eternally fraught corner of design practice.
On the Growing Controversy Over Gehry's Eisenhower Memorial
Amanda Hurley examines the furor that has developed in the four months since a design by Frank Gehry for a memorial to President Dwight Eisenhower, destined for a four-acre site just off the National Mall in Washington D.C., was made public.
In D.C., an Attempt at Crowdsourcing Real Estate Shows Promise
Emily Badger writes of the traditional process by which developers identify what kinds of new development a neighborhood needs (i.e. by not asking anyone in said neighborhood), and a web tool in unveiled in December aimed at changing this.
The Force Behind a Push to Reshape DC
Lydia DePillis profiles Washington D.C.'s planning director, Harriet Tregoning, and her efforts to reshape the city along smart growth principles.
Born of Transit, a Young D.C. Neighborhood in Full Bloom
Seven years after a celebrated public-private partnership, NoMa proves a smart growth success, write Rachel MacCleery and Jonathan Tarr.
No Car? No Problem in Washington, D.C.
Drawing on 2010 Census data, the Coalition for Smarter Growth highlights the prevalence of alternative transportation in the nation's capital.
Are the Arts Losing Out in D.C. Redevelopment?
In downtown Washington D.C., arts spaces are mandated by zoning, however the city's breakneck redevelopment is making such venues increasingly harder to find. Mark Jenkins looks at why a well-intentioned regulation isn't working.
Murky Future for Two of D.C.'s Architectural Gems
The good news is that two of Washington's historical treasures are scheduled for renovation and re-use; columnist Steven Pearlstein delivers the bad news.
Pagination
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