Criticisms of a draft plan to revamp D.C.'s Union Station have described the proposal as far too concerned with car storage.

Following controversy this summer about the proposal to revamp Union Station in Washington, D.C., the team behind the revamp has offered a new vision for the project, one more focused on people, placemaking, and transit, than car parking.
According to an article by George Kevin Jordan, "Akridge, the company that owns the air rights above rail tracks, and oversees Burnham Place, a sibling development project at Union Station, has offered up some new renderings and a video offering an alternative vision of the renovation project."
The controversy created by the number of parking spots included in the proposed redesign created news in July, but the earlier iteration's treatment of car pick up and drop off and the station's bus station have also faced fierce debate, according to the article. The concerns about the previous design were enough to compel D.C. Andrew Trueblood, director of D.C.’s Office of Planning, to release a statement criticizing the proposed designs.
Jordan provides a lot of detail about how the new designs have revised the previous designs, breaking down how the new designs address each of the areas listed above to make Union Station both a place for millions of people to pass through efficiently (100,000 people use the station every day, according to the article), but also to create a sense of place at the station that makes people want to stay a little while.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Washington Union Station Expansion Project, created by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA), is available for public review and comment until September 28.
FULL STORY: New renderings offer a revamped vision of a Union Station designed for people, placemaking, and transit

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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