Photo by Peter Burgess on Flickr.

Planning’s Olympic moment

Did you know that town planning was once an Olympic competition?  At the infamous 1936 Olympics in Berlin, American Charles Lay took home the silver for a redesign of Brooklyn’s Marine Park. (Atlas Obscura)  

Not the usual Fairfax news

The mayor of the City of Fairfx, Scott Silverthorne, was arrested Friday for trading methamphetamine for sex online. (Post)  

Orange you going to resign

Vincent Orange decided to step down from his DC Council seat amid widespread criticism that running the DC Chamber of Commerce at the same time is “tone deaf” if not outright illegal. The Democratic State Committee can appoint a successor, likely Robert White. (City Paper, Post)  

Blind referee’s Purple call

The Washington Post editorial board condemns Judge Richard Leon’s “sucker punch” ruling on the Purple Line. (Post) … Leon based his flawed ruling on Metro’s declining ridership and failed to account for long-term ridership projections when suggesting another environmental study. (WAMU)  

Streetcar’s expectations exceeded

The DC streetcar is performing better than expected, which says a lot considering its bumpy start. DDOT now has to figure out if it wants to charge fares, run an additional car and add Sunday service. (WAMU)  

Nursing home sale fallout

The sale of a nursing home to the adjacent Sidwell Friends School is putting everyone in a tough spot.  Residents can’t find new homes, and the Sidwell community thinks the sale conflicts with Quaker values. (City Paper)  

The price of walkability

DC homebuyers are willing to pay more to live in walkable neighborhoods than buyers in any other metropolitan area. (Washingtonian)  

Art before development

Even through the Brentwood Village Shopping Center is slated for demolition in October, local artists hope public murals and other creative installations can help maintain a community’s roots amidst gentrification. (Post)  

Help for MoCo parents

The movement for paid parental leave has finally hit Montgomery County, and a new bill would let workers without a paid leave policy apply unused sick days for childbirth and newborn care. (Bethesda Beat)  

Pokémon’s location bias

Pokémon Go players are more likely to find Pokéstops — places to train and resupply Pokémon — in majority-white neighborhoods than black ones due to data that favors business districts and tourist areas. (DCist)  

Boon for boomer landlords

Boomers are buying up and renting out homes at record levels thanks to low interest rates and high rental unit demand.  But no one is sure of the long-term impact on the housing market and millennial renters. (Bloomberg)