In Reusing Infrastructure, D.C. Should Look to NYC
Lewis argues that D.C. needs to look at the success of New York City's High Line park as it tries to repurpose its closed-off trolley tunnels.
"Most cities, including Washington, have defunct infrastructure leftovers. The District recently issued a Request for Proposals to develop new uses for 3,000 linear feet of abandoned trolley car tunnels built in 1948 below Dupont Circle and alongside the Connecticut Avenue NW underpass. Trolley operations ended in 1962, and the tunnels were sealed in 1964.
This is not the first attempt at revitalizing the Dupont Circle trolley tunnel. In 1995-96, the city leased tunnel space to a developer who tried to make a go of an underground food court. It went out of business in a year. With dozens of aboveground cafes and restaurants in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, this was no surprise. Why descend into a sunless tunnel to dine?"
Topics
- Infographic: Space Allocation by Population in 15 U.S. Cities
- A 20-Year To-Do List for Cities
- The Argument Against Home Ownership
- Does the Plan to Revitalize a D.C. Canal Too Much Resemble the High Line?
- Study: Not All Gentrification Effects Are Equal
- Research: Transit Times Determine Social Networks
- U.S. Economic Growth Shows Urban-Rural Divide
- Report Makes Business Case for Vancouver-to-Portland High Speed Rail
- The Great O'Hare Race (And its Discontents)
- Moving People Out of Flood Zones Is a Win-Win Strategy
- Another Berkeley 'First': Banning Natural Gas Lines in New Buildings
- An 'Urban Orchard' Next to the Los Angeles River
- Austin Mulling New Incentives for Transit Riders
- 'Urban Green Spaces': A Book for Planners and Laypeople
- The Myth of the 'Childless City'
- After a Bus Kills a Scooter Rider, Two Councilmembers Call for Complete Streets
- A Complete Streets Building Spree in Philadelphia
- Home Improvements Expected to Slow Substantially in the Upcoming Year
- As More 'Superstar' Cities Emerge, the Gap With Other Cities Grows
- Advocates Press for Harder Questions While Pittsburgh Experiments With Self-Driving Cars
