The proposed elevated park across the Anacostia would be a first for D.C. The group backing it has launched a national design competition to design a bridge that fosters economic development, promotes community health, and cleans the river.
The project started as a crazy idea just over two years ago. The 11th Street bridge connecting D.C.'s Navy Yard to Anacostia was (and is) being rebuilt. The old piers for the outdated span remain in the water.
What if, then-planning director Harriet Tregoning asked Scott Kratz, then an employee of the National Building Museum, over breakfast, what if we reused the old pillars to create a new park?
The park would cross the Anacostia adjacent to the new, car-and-bike-and-pedestrian-transporting span. It would link booming Navy Yard with historic Anacostia, perhaps bringing some of the amenities found west of the river to the east. It would be D.C.'s High Line, the city's own example of taking out-of-date infrastructure and turning it into something useful.
"[Tregoning] had this idea, and asked if I was interested in helping," Kratz said Tuesday. "Maybe I should have had another cup of coffee, and said, 'Wait a minute,' but I said 'Sure, you bet.'"
FULL STORY: "D.C.'s High Line" could transform banks of the Anacostia

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

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)