Angie Schmitt explains why the debate over removing Washington DC's famous height regulations depends on the city's transportation plans.
Currently, DC buildings are limited to a height of approximately 10 stories (the height of the Washington Monument). However, according to Schmitt, "right now, DC is in the enviable position of having high demand for downtown office space, but there's a limited amount of land available for development."
DC has three options, says Yonah Freemark of the Transport Politic:
"1) Make no new investments in transportation, in which case there would likely be growth in residential development near downtown, a la Chicago high rises. 2) Invest in expanding its highway system and see its downtown overrun by parking lots, in the way of Houston. 3) Invest in improving the transit system, which would boost the accessibility of downtown and enable more jobs to be located there."
FULL STORY: Condos, Parking Lots, and Transit: DC's Transportation Crossroads
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
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Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
Downtown Portland Ready for Maine's Tallest Building
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The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
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Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
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.
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Smith Gee Studio
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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