Happy Saturday! Here are this week's must-read posts: ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
Greater Greater Washington

Happy Saturday! Here are this week's must-read posts: How DC manages vacant buildings in the words of the DOB itself; unpacking DC's housing production slowdown via "Do Something"; ANC candidates have been sending in questionnaire responses to GGWash; mandating lawns is bad. Don't forget to check out what our Montgomery County high school interns did during summer break: Chasing down a skate park? Pursuing community center renovations? If only all of our teenaged summers had been so impactful!

And hey, while we've got you, would you mind taking 60 seconds to help out GGWash -- and the region? We launched a Career Board in June and, chances are, your HR/recruiting team doesn't know about it yet. Could you please share it with them? Thank you so much! 

Building Connections: The blight stuff

Keith David Parsons (Guest Contributor) • July 29, 2024

 In the third installment of Building Connections, learn from the DC Department of Buildings the difference between vacant and blighted properties.

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Do Something: The week of July 29, 2024

Dan Reed (Regional Policy Director), Alex Baca (DC Policy Director) • August 1, 2024

This week on Do Something: read our ANC questionnaire responses; housing production in DC slows down; take this survey about the future of transit in DC, Maryland, and Virginia; and it’s time for a vacation.

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Responses to GGWash’s 2024 ANC candidate questionnaire

Endorsements • July 31, 2024

GGGWash sends questionnaires to all candidates who are running for Advisory Neighborhood Commission seats, and we publish responses as a publicly available resource for voters. Who is running for an ANC seat in your neighborhood — if anyone? And have they submitted the GGWash candidate questionnaire? Take a look and see.

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It’s time to stop mandating lawns

Dan Malouff (Editorial Board) • August 1, 2024

Grassy lawns originally became popular for members of the pre-industrial aristocracy to show they could afford to waste land rather than farm it. Today, lawns are mandated by zoning codes that outlaw other uses, even front yard gardens. 

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Community center chronicles (CCC): Facelifting the Potomac Community Center

Cynthea Wang (Former Intern) • July 30, 2024

This Potomac, Maryland, high schooler wondered why her local community center was straight out of the 1990s–but bringing it into the 21st century might be a little harder than anticipated.

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Could this parking lot become a new skate park?

Brianna McLeggon (Former Intern) • July 30, 2024

90,000 people live in Germantown, Maryland, but local skaters don’t have anywhere to go. Here’s how one high school student is organizing her friends to change that.

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