Are Older Residents Being Excluded from D.C.'s Revitalization?

There seems to be one common thread linking Washington D.C.'s new bars, restaurants, boutiques, and homes: they're all oriented to appeal to younger residents. Tara Bahrampour looks at D.C.'s struggles to build a multi-generational city.

1 minute read

November 19, 2013, 8:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"[A]mid the loud buzz of development that has resounded through the Washington area in recent years, attracting young people in droves, older people such as [80-year-old Jackie] Parham say their voices are increasingly drowned out."

"New condominium units are marketed to young people. New boutiques carry clothing in tiny sizes and hipster styles. New bike lanes share space with car lanes. And new restaurants keep their inside lights frustratingly dim and the music deafeningly loud," writes Bahrampour.

“These two generations see the world differently,” said Herb Caudill, a 43-year-old resident with two young children who is lobbying the District Department of Transportation to close a service road and widen a sidewalk. “They have an affection, an emotional attachment, to the automobile that the younger generation does not have. They eat out less. . . . They are less likely to embrace an urban lifestyle, a walkable lifestyle.”

Saturday, November 16, 2013 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

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.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

June 17 - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

June 17 - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit