Weekend links: Densification

by David Edmondson • February 4, 2012 2:02 pm

Photo by mikeygibran on Flickr.

Glenmont Sector Plan unveiled: Montgomery County has ~~released at last~~ started the planning effort for its Glenmont Sector Plan. Officials envision a high-density, transit-oriented hub, but the land is split between many owners, making change difficult. (DCMud)

BRAC for the civies: A bill to create a civilian BRAC process is moving forward in the House. A commission identify which civilian properties can be sold or consolidated. (WBJ)

Big Chair relaunches, reopens: Historic Anacostia has its coffee shop back: Big Chair Café has reopened under new management, which wants to make it the neighborhood's gathering place. (WAMU)

An encouraging but timid plan for the Mall: NPS's conceptual plan for the Mall ~~mostly~~ has some elements which just tweaks around the edges and neglects its place as a park for residents, or so says ~~the director~~ G. Martin Moeller, Jr., senior vice president and curator of the National Building Museum, in his capacity as a private citizen. (City Paper)

What to call gentrification by non-whites: Gentrification is largely class-based, but are the outcomes the same when gentrifiers aren't white? (DCentric)

Fight for your right to cycle: Cyclists in Baltimore went ballistic when word leaked out that two college presidents may have quietly put the kibosh on a planned bike lane. Yet the lane isn't dead yet, and activists are fighting to keep it alive. (Baltimore Brew)

On the polycentric metro region: Regions with more than one major city are more productive, likely due to shared load between governments. But advantages of large cities, like cultural richness, get lost when the population is divided. (Per Square Mile)

Towards healthier transportation: Designing a city around the car is a recipe for poor health, and a bill in the Washington State House would factor in public health effects when planning transportation. (Seattle Times)

And...: There are some tricks to getting the light to change as a cyclist. (Patch) ... More details emerge on the I-395 air rights development, including LEED Platinum status. (CityBiz )... An interactive map of vacant buildings in Shaw. (EastShawDC)

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5 comments

Tags: Anacostia, Baltimore, bicycling, bike lanes, BRAC, Center Leg Freeway, DC, gentrification, Glenmont, GSA, links, Maryland, Montgomery, Mount Vernon Square, Mount Vernon Triangle, NPS, planning, public health, race, retail, Shaw, The Mall, TOD, vacant property, Washington State

David Edmondson is a transportation and urban affairs enthusiast living in Mount Vernon Square. He blogs about Marin County, California, at The Greater Marin.

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MoCo planners haven't "released" the Glenmont Sector Plan yet; in fact, they haven't even written it yet. What they submitted to the Planning Board last month was the scope of work, which is basically a plan for the plan.

by dan reed! on Feb 4, 2012 6:08 pm

Yeah, I was expecting to see some pretty renderings upon visiting the link about Glenmont but instead just got the "before" photos, since, well, there's no "after" renderings just yet.

Sounds like most of the land near the station is within just five complexes, all obsolete retail or multifamily buildings. Sounds like a pretty straightforward suburban retrofit job to me.

by Payton on Feb 6, 2012 1:15 am

I've had better luck with the red light sensors in Montgomery County detecting my bike, but in general the advice is sound. Place yourself and your bike directly over one of the loop lines in the direction of travel and stay there.

by Crickey7 on Feb 6, 2012 10:10 am

"What to call gentrification by non-whites"

What about "gentrification"?

by Scoot on Feb 6, 2012 10:32 am

"What about "gentrification"?"

Sounds reasonable to me.

by Doug on Feb 8, 2012 12:28 am