District of Columbia

Can Washington D.C. Keep Rolling on Bike Infrastructure?

Bike advocates are concerned that after a "banner year" for bike infrastructure in the nation’s capital, the momentum for bike infrastructure is waning rather than building. How much do these kinds of missed opportunities cost?

March 22, 2015 - WAMU

Businesses Band Together to Rebrand Their Block

It's just one block, but a block disrupted by changes happening just a quarter-mile away. So these businesses came together to rebrand their street and bring customers back.

March 13, 2015 - Elevation DC

Three Challenges for Multi-Modal Trip Planning Apps

A recent post on Mobility Lab explains some of the challenges developers encounter when creating the multi-modal trip planner apps of our dreams.

March 10, 2015 - Mobility Lab

D.C. Streetcar Expansion May Be Further Trimmed

New Washington, D.C. Mayor Bowser may deviate from the prior administration by not supporting the expansion of the streetcar line. This is a double-blow to streetcar advocates, as Mayor Gray had already pared down the new streetcar's expansion plans.

March 7, 2015 - WAMU

Residents Protest for the Right to Bear Sleds on Capitol Hill Snow Day

The sledding ban on Capitol Hill was too much for Washington, D.C. residents to bear. They brought wintertime fun to Congress on yesterday's snow day.

March 6, 2015 - The Hill

Rock Creek Park Washington D.C.

Documenting D.C.'s Demographic Shift

Data from Washington D.C. shows how the demographics of eastern neighborhoods have shifted heavily toward childless singles over the past decade.

March 1, 2015 - District Measured

Washington D.C. Metro

Friday Funny: A Sarcastic List for Why D.C. Metro is the 'Best'

A community user of Buzzfeed has clearly had it up to here with the daily frustrations of using transit on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

February 27, 2015 - BuzzFeed

DDOT's 2015 Goal: Filling Gaps in Bike Infrastructure

The District Department of Transportation's plans for 2015 include closing critical gaps in the District's bike infrastructure network.

February 23, 2015 - Greater Greater Washington

Shepard Fairey

Op-Ed: Don't Excuse Displacement when Rationalizing Gentrification

A recent article in Washington City Paper pushes back on the notion that the ill effects of gentrification are overblown. Resurgent cities must, according to the article, find ways to achieve the benefits of gentrification—without the displacement.

February 22, 2015 - Washington City Paper

Changing the 'How' and the 'What' in Infrastructure Spending

When it comes to infrastructure, we are frequently reminded of the consequences of not repairing roads and bridges. Two prolific transportation writers recently changed the focus to where the money is spent.

February 17, 2015 - CityLab

Failing Infrastructure Strikes the Beltway

Driving under a structurally deficient bridge took on a whole new meaning, even for those with the Beltway, when concrete fell on a passing vehicle under a bridge awaiting repair in Prince George's County, Md. on Feb. 10. The driver was OK.

February 15, 2015 - The Washington Post

Tracking the Growth of U.S. Bikeshare Systems

A post on Greater Greater Washington takes inventory of the nation's bikeshare system, finding steady growth in the number of bikshare systems in 2014, but not the explosive growth of 2013.

February 12, 2015 - Greater Greater Washington

Renters Predominate in Low-Cost and High-Cost Cities

A report by New York University’s Furman Center found that renters made up the majority of households in nine of the 11 largest cities in the U.S. in 2013, up from five in 2006. The demand is straining the supply of rental housing.

February 10, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Runners in D.C.

Washington, D.C.: A City Held Hostage

A neutral capital "district" may have sounded like a fine idea in the early 1800s. Today, Washington, D.C.—the burgeoning city, not the political fabrication—is crippled by the whims of Congress and a host of anti-urban policies.

February 6, 2015 - Next City

Parks—or Playgrounds for Billionaires?

New York may be the most famous example of the parks becoming the most conspicuous signifiers of neighborhoods for the haves, versus the have-nots, but Inga Saffron hopes that cities everywhere can find ways to even the playing fields.

February 4, 2015 - The New Republic

DC's New Environment Agency Head Discusses Parks and Agriculture

"One hundred years ago, urban areas were viewed as the place for economic opportunity, but they were unhealthy, congested places. Now cities can be very healthy," says the new director of Washington, D.C.'s department of the environment.

February 3, 2015 - Elevation DC

A New Future Proposed for Georgetown

After announcing its Georgetown 2028 Plan last year, the Georgetown Business Improvement District is continuing its ambitious efforts to bring new facilities and amenities online in Georgetown.

February 3, 2015 - The Washington Post

Mapping Income Inequality on D.C.'s Metro Lines

MIT's You Are Here mapping and data visualization project has produced a map of income levels, as tracked by the routes of the Metro subway system in Washington D.C.

January 29, 2015 - The Washington Post

Does Limiting Rowhouse Expansions Preserve, or Prevent, Affordable Housing?

The Washington D.C. Zoning Commission is considering a proposal to limit the ability to convert or expand rowhouses. The proposed ordinance has provoked controversy about the effect of the law for the city's supply of housing.

January 22, 2015 - Washington City Paper

State-Level Data Reveals Earlier Peak Driving than Previously Thought

With implications on the narrative of peak driving and on the economic forces that drive the country, a new study reveals that some statewide populations began driving less as early as 1992.

January 16, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.