After years of growth and development, the suburban Washington D.C. Dulles corridor is experiencing a development slowdown.
"The corridor has seen job growth of 24 percent over the past seven years."
"But now this fast-growing suburban business hub is headed for a pause."
"With federal contracting slowing from its recent boom, and as the national and regional economies soften, the current wave of construction projects is likely to leave empty buildings. Few new office projects are expected to get started in the near future, as developers focus on finding tenants. The process is likely to take at least two years, given historical trends, according to developers and brokers."
"The last time Northern Virginia's commercial real estate market slowed was after the tech bust of 2001, when dozens of dot-com start-ups went out of business. But that downturn was relatively short lived. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the federal government began pouring money into national security programs, with many of those dollars going to contractors in Northern Virginia."
"The Dulles area's relatively inexpensive real estate became a draw for many businesses. In the latest quarter, for example, rents for the Dulles area were $29.81 per square foot, compared with $47.94 in downtown Washington."
FULL STORY: Dulles Slows Down

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie