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.
The Planning Report published a recent interview with Harriet Tregoning, Director of the Washington DC Office of Planning, on the District's plans to connect both sides of the Anacostia River through a revitalized and pedestrian-oriented 11th Street Bridge. Tregoning's efforts reflect a recent focus on making use of formerly unused federal land to reinvest in the communities using the principles of Smart Growth. Currently the Anacostia River is known for its pollution, and most District residents would not consider it a potential urban amenity.
Tregoning goes on to describe her focus on Smart Growth in DC, a city where 96 percent of residents live within a quarter of a mile of transit. In this light, the 11th Street pedestrian bridge will serve as a public space for events and recreation as well as a path across the river. She notes, "One of the things we're even looking at is potentially running a streetcar on that part of the bridge. It would be both a destination but also a very pleasant and enhanced conduit to help people get across the river."
Thanks to Kevin Madden
FULL STORY: DC Planning Director Harriet Tregoning on Smartly Bridging the Anacostia River
Op-Ed: Utopian Thinking Poses Continued Dangers for Urbanists
Charles Wolfe calls attention to similarities between contemporary urbanism and yesterday's debunked utopias. The two may differ in substance, but both tend toward a certain level of dogma that isn't necessarily helpful on the ground.
L.A. Metro CEO Challenges Trump on Infrastructure Funding
President Trump’s most recent transportation budget is projected to cut transportation spending by 13 percent, potentially undercutting many of Los Angeles' ambitious projects to continue the build-out of a full public transportation system.
The Place of Water in Urban Design: An International Perspective
How cities around the world have approached thinking about how water management fits in to urban planning.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Amtrak Takes Lead on Texas Central Rail
The high-speed rail project isn’t a done deal, but if it moves forward, trains could begin operating in 2030.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
