Washington Post

Utility-Scale Solar

U.S. Solar Continues to Grow Despite Headwinds from Federal Government

Industry experts say that the Trump Administration has slowed and will continue to slow the expansion of U.S. solar, but expect solar to grow nevertheless.

March 19, 2018 - Washington Post

Metro Bus

D.C. Bus Ridership is Down. Time for a Redesign?

Bus ridership is down in the nation's capital. Some see the issue as an opportunity to better design the service to make dollars go further.

January 9, 2018 - Washington Post

163:365 - Green Energy

Federal Agencies to Consider Climate Impacts

A new policy from the Obama Administration asks government to calculate, and attempt to lower, their carbon emissions.

August 15, 2016 - Washington Post

Washington D.C. Row Houses

Proliferation of 'Pop-Ups' Irks Washington D.C. Neighborhoods

Washington D.C. is experiencing a "rush" on new construction of renovated townhouses or "pop-ups," which many say do not fit the character of the neighborhoods where they tend to proliferate.

June 23, 2014 - Washington Post

Grow America Transportation Bill Would Open the Door to Tolling on Interstates

Although its unclear just how much influence the Department of Transportation's surface transportation authorization bill, called GROW AMERICA, will have (if any at all), the bill makes apparent a sea change with regard to tolling of the interstates.

May 1, 2014 - Washington Post

Growth Slowing in Washington D.C.

After a decade of incredible growth, a tightening job market has finally slowed the domestic migration into Washington D.C.

April 14, 2014 - Washington Post

Slowing the Rush to Sell Historic Post Offices

Outcry over the potential sale of post offices in Berkeley and the Bronx has prompted those areas’ respective Congressional representatives to seek federal legislation to put the brakes on the Postal Service’s rush to sell historic properties.

January 23, 2014 - Washington Post

Oil Flowing Through the Keystone Pipeline

Oil is now flowing through the southern leg of the controversial Keystone pipeline. The southern pipeline is still the subject of a number of lawsuits, and the northern portion of the pipeline is pending approval from the State Department.

January 23, 2014 - Washington Post

D.C. Area COG Adopts Regional Transportation Plan

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recently approved a Regional Transportation Priorities Plan that focuses on improving existing systems. A lot of planning remains to decide which projects get built.

January 22, 2014 - Washington Post

Maryland Suburb Fights Sidewalks

The DC metropolitan area has a largely suburban character inherited from an era when cars were the only conceivable form of transportation. Efforts to expand sidewalk infrastructure are meeting resistance, especially in University Hill.

April 18, 2013 - Washington Post

D.C. Area Hits Uptick as Recession Peters Out

Carol Morello and Patricia Sullivan explore the recent population spike in Washington, D.C., part of a nationwide trend toward "an urban renaissance."

June 30, 2012 - Washington Post

A Striking Demographic Shift in D.C.

The eastern Capital Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. was 87% black in 2000: new Census figures show the black population is now only 44% and 47% white. The Wall St. Journal talks to people in this changing community.

March 29, 2011 - Washington Post

Leaving a Legacy of Smart Growth

Maryland's Governor O'Malley, heading into his 2nd and last term, wants to leave behind a legacy of environmental improvement, including new smart growth policies to limit building in rural areas.

February 19, 2011 - Washington Post

How Detroit's Mayor Attempts to Save the Great American City

With the challenges facing American cities of tight budgets and lost revenues, Major Bing openly asks how to shrink the size of Detroit and makes an open call for plans, concepts, and strategies to save the failing city.

February 10, 2011 - Washington Post

Parks Are A Wise Investment In Tough Times

At a time when families across the country are facing fewer choices for fun, ambitious park projects like those in St. Louis, Detroit and Houston are "bringing urban centers back to life," according to JoAnn Greco.

August 29, 2010 - Washington Post

Opposition to Mosque Proposals Mounting

Across the U.S., proposals for new mosques (such as for one in Murfreesboro, Tennessee) are meeting with hostile opposition, leading to worries over an ugly shift in public perception of Muslims.

August 24, 2010 - Washington Post

Preservationists Concerned About Visual Blight from Streetcars

Portland has them. So does Charlotte. But in the nation's capital, streetcar overhead wires are under fire from historic preservationists.

April 6, 2010 - Washington Post

Maryland's Smart Growth Law A Dud According To University Study

Maryland's 1997 landmark smart growth, hailed as one of the most innovative policies in the nation, has turned out to have failed in what it hoped to accomplish - preserve open space and cluster urban growth, according to a just-released report.

November 5, 2009 - Washington Post

"Not Your Father's White House": Obama's Urban Renewal Agenda

With Adolfo Carrion Jr. appointed as a "cities czar" and federal stimulus dollars flowing to urban sustainability projects, the Obama Administration aims to concentrate development to boost "environmentally and economically viable neighborhoods."

October 7, 2009 - Washington Post

Police Checkpoints Violate Rights to Public Access

The city of Washington, D.C. learns its police checkpoints aimed at reducing crime in hot spots are unconstitutional.

July 20, 2009 - Washington Post

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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.