By Tracy Hadden Loh (Board of Directors) • April 20, 2021
GGWash chose not to endorse Chelsea Allinger when she ran for ANC 1D05 in 2018. We’ve taken a second look, and today we are thrilled to announce that she will become our new executive director.
By George Kevin Jordan (Managing Editor) • April 19, 2021
GW talks about planning and designing for equity. UDC celebrates Earth Day. GGWash and Diana Lind will discuss Lind’s book, “Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing,” and more in this week’s virtual urbanist events.
In December of 2018, the DC Council passed a bill setting a challenge for large buildings across the District to meet new energy code standards by 2026. The law prescribes two different paths: one for new construction and existing buildings performing at or above a median level of energy efficiency scores according to the federal government’s program; another for buildings below that median.
DC will resume all parking enforcement June 1, while implementing an amnesty program to waive late fees on tickets. The District is also raising fees on residential parking permits, charging extra for households with multiple cars. (Jordan Pascale / DCist. Tip: Chester B.)
Prince George’s County Councilman Todd Turner writes for Maryland Matters that a state law passed this session and awaiting the Governor’s signature will allow the county to update its zoning ordinance, an effort that was stalled by questions around the public ethics code. (Todd M. Turner / Maryland Matters)
In an opinion column, Georgetown University Law Center professor Christy E. Lopez writes that traffic enforcement isn’t making streets safer; instead, it puts Black lives at risk and sets up jurisdictions to lean heavily on the poor for revenue. Instead, Lopez writes, we should update traffic laws and move enforcement of some violations away from police. (Christy E. Lopez / Post)
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has been talking publicly about a homeless encampment at 21st and E streets as a reminder of the country’s uneven economic recovery. Residents of the encampment say the pandemic has hollowed out jobs, made shelters dangerous, and left them with few other options. (Rachel Siegel / Post)
The new $18 million Southwest Library is opening May 6. The DC Public Library also announced two more locations, Deanwood and Southeast, that will reopen in-person services, joining 18 other locations across the District. (DCist / Elliot C. Williams)
In an effort to control the spread of COVID-19, the DC jail has been holding people in what amounts to solitary confinement for 23 hours a day for nearly 400 days straight. Many say solitary confinement has its own health issues and amounts to a human rights abuse. (Peter Jamison / Post)
