In D.C.'s ongoing height limit saga, the other shoe has dropped. Just two weeks after the federal government recommended minimal changes to the limits, their partner in the study - D.C.'s Office of Planning - has come to a very different conclusion.
Just two weeks ago, it looked like the congressionally mandated study into altering D.C.'s Height of Buildings Act of 1910 might recommend preserving the status quo. But citing the need to accommodate the city's projected population and job growth, the Office of Planning has recommended two major changes to the Height Act, reports Aaron Wiener.
"First, the D.C. Office of Planning, which led the District's efforts on the Height Act, recommends altering the formula for determining maximum heights—currently the width of the street plus 20 feet, with a cap of 90 feet on residential streets and 130 feet on most commercial streets. The Office of Planning recommends a new building-height-to-street-width ratio of 1.25:1, resulting in a maximum height of 200 feet for buildings on a 160-foot street."
"But that only applies within the historic L'Enfant City—roughly bounded by Florida Avenue and the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers," he adds. "The Office of Planning's second proposal is to free the city from any federal height restrictions outside this area, since there's a lesser federal interest in thee farther-flung regions of the city. In these areas, the Office of Planning recommends to Congress that the District be able to set its own height limits through its Comprehensive Plan and zoning process."
Final recommendations are expected to be delivered to Congress in November. Will the NCPC and Office of Planning find common ground or will they leave the decision up to Rep. Darrell Issa and his colleagues?
FULL STORY: D.C. Recommends Major Changes to Height Act
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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.