Events

On the calendar: WMATA capital budget, Christopher Leinberger, outdoor play, Met Branch Trail, Daniel Burnham

by David Alpert   •   June 2, 2010 2:56 pm

There are a lot of big events coming up in the next few days.

In brief: There's a WMATA hearing on the capital budget tonight. Tomorrow we're hosting a live chat with Christopher Leinberger, and in the evening, there's Montgomery County panel on building urban spaces that allow children to play. Saturday is a party for the Met Branch Trail. And next Wednesday, watch a new documentary on the Mall about Daniel Burnham.

WMATA capital hearing: Tonight at 5:30, WMATA is holding a hearing on the capital budget. Normally, these hearings happen in tandem with TPB hearings and almost nobody attends, but this time, WMATA decided to have a separate hearing.

I had hoped to figure out what to say and also write about it, but to be honest, I just didn't find the time. Unfortunately, that means I didn't tell you ahead of time or decide what to say. WashCycle points out that many ped and bike projects are cut. On the other hand, replacing aging equipment does need to be the top priority.

The hearing starts at 5:30 at WMATA HQ, 600 5th St, NW. You can also submit written testimony until Monday.

Live chat with Christopher Leinberger: Tomorrow, Christopher Leinberger will join us for a live chat at 1:00 pm. Leinberger is the author of The Option of Urbanism and a leading advocate for walkable urbanism and changes to public policy to allow and encourage more of it.

Lately, he has been discussing value capture, the funding of public transit through taxes that capture some of the increased value transit brings to the land around the stations.

Please join us tomorrow at 1:00. In the meantime, please submit questions for Mr. Leinberger in the comments.

ReThink Health: The final ReThink Montgomery discussion will focus on health, and specifically children's health. Urban and suburban developments alike often lack good spaces for children to play.

Joan Almon of the Alliance for Childhood will discuss "the vital role of play and how planners can design and build spaces that make it easy for children to be active." The event is at 7:30 pm at Montgomery Park and Planning's auditorium, 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, near Silver Spring Metro.

Meet the Met (Branch Trail): On Saturday, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is holding a party on the Metropolitan Branch Trail, a partially-completed walking and biking trail along the CSX and Red Line tracks from Union Station to Silver Spring.

Currently, the trail is complete from L Street, NE (just north of Union Station) to Franklin Street in Brookland. The party is on the newest segment past the Rhode Island Avenue Metro, which you can reach through the parking lot of the large shopping center at 700 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, just across the tracks from the Metro station.

Daniel Burnham: Finally, next Wednesday is a screening of Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City, a documentary about the architect who designed Union Station and the Postal Square building next door. Burnham was also one of the members of the McMillan Commission which redesigned the National Mall in 1901. His influence also carries far beyond Washington, DC.

The documentary takes its title from his most famous quote (which he may or may not have actually said): "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized." Here's a trailer:

You can always see these events and more on our calendar. If there are events we're missing, please send them in using the tip form.

Photos at top, clockwise from upper left: WMATA hearing by thisisbossi on Flickr; Christopher Leinberger from his site; Met Branch Trail sign by TrailVoice on Flickr; and Joan Almon from ReThink Montgomery.