With her new role as the head of the Office of Planning, Harriet Tregoning, a pioneer of the smart growth movement, is set on molding Washington D.C. into a more livable city.
"As the District's new director of the Office of Planning, Tregoning hopes to carry out her vision of D.C. as a transit-based, walkable community with plenty of retail. A place, she says, where middle-income people can afford not only to live -- but also to have enough spending money left over every month to prime the city's economy.
"The District needs to reframe itself as a sustainable, green city," she says. "We need to have the kind of growth and development in our city and region that benefits the environment, enhances our economy, makes it stronger and more robust and engages more of our city in the economy and in civic life. We want to be a place where quality of life and community is so attractive that everybody wants to be here."
A 15-year resident who lives in Adams Morgan, Tregoning says she is aware that not everybody who wants to be a city-dweller can afford to live in the District. Washington is becoming too pricey not only for longtime residents but also for the students and young graduates who start careers at Capitol Hill, K Street and Foggy Bottom.
Tregoning's biggest challenge will be to realize her vision without alienating the development community, which would prefer that the Office of Planning stick to its core mission of reviving troubled neighborhoods, overseeing historic preservation and smoothing the permitting process for new construction."
FULL STORY: Plan it, Harriet

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

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.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont