Photo by Fairfax County on Flickr.

Now that September is here, calendars are filling back up. The Coalition for Smarter Growth’s walking tours are back in session, our own monthly happy hour is around the corner, and the DC Zoning Commission is hold its (hopefully) final round of public hearings on the zoning update. Mark your calendars - it’s going to be a busy month!

The Silver Line, Reston, & Tysons: A New Chapter: Join the Coalition for Smarter Growth for a walking tour of the Silver Line and big changes at the Wiehle-Reston and Tysons Corner Metro stations. The tour will visit new mixed-use developments, look at bicycle, pedestrian, and bus links, check out new public plazas, and hear about the opportunities and challenges of retrofitting the suburbs. CSG tours are free and open to the public, but RSVP is requested. Planners, AICP credit for this tour is pending.

After the jump: the DC Zoning Commission hears more public input on the zoning update, and there are a whole lot of events happening on September 10.

Testify for the DC Zoning Update: The DC Zoning Commission has scheduled additional public input hearings on the proposed DC zoning update starting Monday, September 8. Even if you have already given in-person testimony, you can testify again as long as you focus your remarks on the proposed amendments. Signups are on a first-come, first-served basis. CSG has a handy signup tool and other resources for people who want to testify here.

Grab a local microbrew and BBQ with GGW: With summer coming to a close, it’s time to resume our regular happy hour series. Join us at Denizens Brewing Company in Silver Spring for drinks, food, and conversation on an outdoor patio within sight of the Red Line next Wednesday, September 10 from 6 to 8 pm. You’ll find Denizens at 1115 East-West Highway, one block west of Georgia Avenue. Here are more details on how to get there.

Metro art exhibit opening: Is art more your style than beer and BBQ? Also on September 10, join Boston Properties at The Heurich Gallery for the opening of Roberto Bocci: Metrorail, an exhibition featuring recent work by the Washington-based artist. Metrorail, Roberto Bocci’s newest body of work, is a multidisciplinary project that explores urban environments in and around the Metrorail system. Head over to the calendar for more info.

Tour Dunbar High School: Not a fan of microbrews or art? Join CSG at Dunbar High School for another of their popular walking tours. While NW DC’s Dunbar HS has a reputation as one of the region’s best known historically African-American high schools, for many years the school’s design and layout were far from an urban gem.

All that changed last year, with the unveiling of the new Dunbar — with a green design more welcoming to the community, abundant natural light, a LEED platinum rating, and a much smaller footprint on a reconnected street grid. Hear from the building’s designers and local school and community representatives about how smart growth design principles can transform not only a building but the surrounding neighborhood as well.

Do you know of an upcoming event that may be interesting, relevant, or important to Greater Greater Washington readers? Send it to us at events@ggwash.org.