Across the US, cities increasingly view waterfronts as opportunities for green space. Once tied to industrial uses, river fronts now offer a chance to repurpose existing infrastructure for public use.
The 11th Street Bridge Park Project, one of the most prominent of these efforts, seeks to turn an aged-out freeway bridge into a three-acre civic space crossing the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. It has garnered national attention with a recent design competition that yielded four finalists.
Scott Kratz, the project's director, discussed the initial idea and its ongoing implementation with The Planning Report. Beyond the structural concept, he detailed the intensive community outreach process and the goals this recreational area seeks to meet—including tying together two long-divided neighborhoods: "If we can create both a physical and metaphorical bridge to connect two sides of the community that rarely venture to each others’ banks, that will be a great success.”
He goes on to detail the conditions and assets east of the river, in Wards 7 and 8: "They have some of the most challenging issues, on pretty much any scale: unemployment, the health issues that we spoke about, housing insecurity, poverty, and so forth... The area has tremendous bones with extraordinarily longstanding and proud residents who perhaps haven’t had the same opportunities as those in the rest of the city... As we work with the community to help shape the vision for the park, this can be an opportunity to build economic benefits on both sides of the river."
FULL STORY: D.C's 11th Street Bridge Park: Transforming Infrastructure into Civic Space

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
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