Tim Craig explores one developer's efforts to start the ball rolling on the capital's new 20-year sustainability goals.
City officials in Washington released an ambitious plan on Tuesday to green the city over the next 20 years. Dubbed Vision for a Sustainable D.C., the plan outlines "goals to slash emissions and fossil fuel usage, plant new trees, clean up the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, and capture three-fourths of rainwater for reuse locally," Craig writes.
Sean C. Cahill, a local developer, intends to lead the charge with a cluster of new buildings along I-395 that will boast rooftop farms – one of the many goals described in the plan. With 2.2 million square feet of primarily office space, Capitol Crossing could host restaurants hoping to emulate the success of Founding Farmers, a farm-to-table eatery that has earned a place among "the city's most popular restaurants."
"We got 30 acres of vegetative roofs in D.C. already," said D.C. Planning Director Harriet Tregoning. "Let's rethink this idea of the green roof and create the kind of environment where we can produce that."
FULL STORY: D.C. farms could rise above I-395

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
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Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.

Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
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