Some say DC is too small to be a state – but though it’s small, it’s also dense. So what would a state made up of sparsely populated counties, but with DC’s population, look like?
By Alex Baca (Housing Program Organizer) • October 8, 2020
Amending DC’s 2006 Comprehensive Plan, the District’s foundational land use text, has been ongoing since 2016. The DC Council unanimously passed a revised Framework element, which sets the tone for the rest of the document, last October (we loved it!), but the Framework is only the first chapter of a 1,500-page doorstop. However! A public hearing on 24 additional elements is scheduled for November 12 and 13, following public outreach and feedback solicitation by the Office of Planning in late 2019 through early 2020.
Today, the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) is a paved trail used for fun and commuting across Northern Virginia. Of course, originally the Washington & Old Dominion was a railroad — one with a long and convoluted history that helped form Dunn Loring, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and other communities that still exist to this day.
A minority of property owners, just 21%, are responsible for nearly half of DC eviction filings, a Georgetown University report found. Most filings don’t result in evictions, but instead are a tactic used to pressure tenants for rent. (Kyle Swenson / Post)
Parties responsible for building the Purple Line have agreed to maintain their financial arrangement until the end of October, buying time to negotiate on the cost overruns plaguing the project. (Bruce DePuyt / Maryland Matters)
As WMATA plans for 2021 and 2022, the organization faces major questions about what ridership will look like because of the pandemic. Metro will likely need to contend with a “new normal” of low ridership. (Jordan Pascale / WAMU)
Republican members of Congress introduced three separate proposals this week that would counteract any move to statehood, by absorbing most of the District into Maryland or limiting the Senate to 100 representatives. (Mikaela Lefrak / WAMU)
Since the pandemic began in March, Montgomery County has reported a 20% increase in recycling over the same period last year, while trash has increased 13%. (Mike Murillo / WTOP)
A working group on policing in the Maryland General Assembly has started voting on recommendations for the full assembly to consider in January, backing a statewide use-of-force policy and a body camera mandate. (Ovetta Wiggins / Post)
Many DC area residents have turned to urban gardening to alleviate stress and fill time during the pandemic, leading to a record number of applications for plots. (Laurel Schwartz / Post)
