A year after the historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center closed its doors, a mix of uses - from embassies to schools to a town center - are being envisioned for the 110-acre campus.
Jonathan O'Connell discusses the plans for the prime piece of real estate in Northwest Washington that will come before a D.C. Council committee this week. According to O'Connell, some of the proposed uses for the campus have been set, including plans by the State Department to build "a row of embassies for more than 20 nations...on 43.5 acres it plans to acquire on the west end of the campus."
To serve the residents of the adjacent Shepherd Park, Brightwood and Takoma neighborhoods, who O'Connell says typically have to leave the city to shop, "Mayor Vincent C. Gray's economic development team has mapped out a town
square development totaling 3.1 million square feet of development, more
than 550,000 square feet of it in existing historic buildings, plus 14
acres of open space."
"Although the District has not yet begun seeking a master developer, real
estate firms, retailers and universities and colleges have already
begun voicing their interest," says O'Connell.
FULL STORY: At Walter Reed site, officials push for a town center
The U.S. Might Soon Be Surpassed in Coronavirus Infections
India could be on track to overtake the United States in the number of COVID-19 cases. The surge is explained by a sharp and growing urban-rural divide in the ability and willingness to follow public health measures.
Floridians File Lawsuit to Protect Jacksonville from the GOP
A public nuisance lawsuit filed July 8 aims to ensure that an unsafe indoor mass gathering like President Trump held in Tulsa last month, which reportedly led to coronavirus infections, does not occur during the Republican National Convention.
One of D.C.'s Prime Parcels Gets a Developer and a Vision
Two years after the historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center closed its doors, the transformation of one of the city's prime development parcels took a giant leap forward this week with the selection of Hines Interests to lead the redevelopment.
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
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)