Photo by Ron Cogswell on Flickr.

This week, think about the future of a plaza in Arlington and the urban landscape through photos and film at events around the region.

Re-imagine Arlington’s Courthouse area: Envision Courthouse Square is a community effort to plan the future of Arlington County’s civic center including a vibrant public space.

Join fellow residents at a community kick-off planning meeting and visioning session this Wednesday, March 26, 7-9 pm at Key Elementary School, 2300 Key Boulevard.

After the jump: See slides about H Street’s past, watch films about the environment in our region, wish Metro a happy birthday, and attend a panel about whether government agencies listen to what you have to say online.

From pleasure gardens to streetcars: Enjoy a photographic history lesson on DC’s H St NE, along with a lecture from local historian Sarah Shoenfeld. Shoenfeld will “present a slide show depicting H Street’s lively past, from its early development as a transportation link between DC and Maryland, to circus parades, Louie Kavakos’s night club at 8th and H, and the original Granville Moore.”

This event is part of the DC Public Library’s Know Your Neighborhood series and will take place at the Northeast Library (330 7th St. NE) on Tuesday, March 25 at 6:30 pm.

“Our Cities, Our Planet”: This year’s Environmental Film Festival focuses on urban environments around the globe, including many in this region. The festival wraps up on March 30, but there are a few films still to see that are relevant to our region:

  • Reel Portraits: Jane Jacobs is a discussion with a filmmaker working on a project about Death and Life of Great American Cities author Jane Jacobs and her legacy on cities. March 26, 6:30 pm at the National Portrait Gallery.
  • Student Shorts including ones about the Potomac River, Anacostia River, and Chesapeake Bay. March 26, 7:00 pm at American University.
  • Farming for the Future: Enduring Traditions-Innovative Practices looks at how farmers, including 4 farms in Virginia, try to meet the demand for sustainable, locally grown food and remain profitable. March 29, 7:00 pm at American University.
  • Sanctuary shows how at-risk teens in DC and endangered eagles help each other through life’s struggles. March 30, 12 pm at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Happy birthday, Metro!: Metro turns 38 this week. What better way to celebrate Metro’s birthday than by telling your local politicians you support Metro Momentum, the long term plan for more capacity? Send an email now through the Coalition for Smarter Growth’s online campaign.

Who listens to your opinion? A lot of people share opinions about public projects on blogs and social media, but what happens to all of that? Often, official government agencies accept official comments but don’t see or factor in views posted in many other places. The National Capital Planning Commission is having a panel discussion about how public agency feedback systems and new online technology work together.

NCPC’s William Herbig will moderate a conversation with Greater Greater Washington’s David Alpert, Cheryl Cort of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, and NBC4 reporter Tom Sherwood. The panel is Wednesday, April 9, 7-8:30 pm at NCPC, 401 9th St NW, Suite 500.