Altman: How Planning Can Save And Revitalize A City

Andrew Altman, former D.C. Director of Planning, describes how he and Mayor Williams used planning as the catalyst for D.C.'s revival.

1 minute read

October 31, 2005, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Andrew Altman served under Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams for six years as the city's planning director. Prior to that, Altman was the City of Berkeley’s Planning Director. Despite D.C.'s fiscal and management problems when he came to office, Mayor Williams and Altman intentionally elevated the role of planning within the city. Mr. Altman last year moved from planning director to head the city's redevelopment of the Anacostia River waterfront. He has announced he will be leaving to join the private sector in November.

In this exclusive interview with The Planning Report, Mr. Altman articulates how planning can save and revitalize a city.

Monday, October 31, 2005 in The Planning Report

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A construction crew working on SunZia.

How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on

The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.

30 minutes ago - Grist

A rendering of the basketball court, a green court under a blue sky.

MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court

The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.

1 hour ago - Gothamist

A crowd of people bathed in pink light in front of a stage.

Non-stop party: Chicago voters weigh permanent festival grounds

A stable place for bleachers, stages and drainage may streamline the setup and teardown of large events.

2 hours ago - Block Club Chicago