Image from Wikipedia.

The next few weeks have copious opportunities to weigh in on the future of DC neighborhoods. Please consider attending some of them!

Tonight alone has three great events competing for your time. The Coalition for Smarter Growth is hosting “transportation celebrity” Ian Lockwood for a talk tonight at NCPC, 401 9th Street, NW. Lockwood designed the Gilbert’s Corner roundabouts, which allowed smooth traffic flow for a tiny fraction of the cost of VDOT’s plans for wide highways and grade-separated interchanges. He also designed the boulevard concept for Rockville Pike that will be part of the White Flint plan. It’s free, but an RSVP is required.

Vince Gray is also holding the Ward 2 iteration of his town halls, this one at Foundry United Methodist Church at 16th and P, NW. Tuesday is the one in Ward 1, at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, 1100 Harvard Street, NW in Columbia Heights. The final three town halls take place in Ward 8’s Barry Farm, Ward 4’s upper 14th Street, and Ward 6’s Hill East.

Finally, planners will present their final concepts for reusing much of the Walter Reed site. The details have already been reported, including a number of nonprofits and a good amount of retail which the local ANC nonetheless opposes. The Post has a map. And how much parking will it need?

Meanwhile, planning for another large parcel of land in DC’s northern section is just getting started: the McMillan Sand Filtration Site at North Capitol and Irving. Stalled for a while due to the economy, the developers are starting a series of public meetings Saturday at 10 am. I’d expect the community opposition to building anything to come roaring back in force, so if you live nearby, stop by to weigh in.

Speaking of community controversy, the debate over a Lincoln Park CaBi station will feature prominently at the local ANC’s meeting on Monday. A lot of us were unhappy DDOT’s bike planners simply deleted the station from the map after a few people complained instead of soliciting input from others, many of whom were excited about the station.

Now, the ANC is giving everyone that chance, at 7 pm Monday at Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G Street, NE. If you support the bike sharing station (or if you don’t), show up to make your voice heard. Otherwise, DDOT will likely decide based on the opinions of others.

Wednesday is another bevy of community presentations on local projects for residents of the upper half of DC, this time about streets in upper Northwest and upper 14th. West of Rock Creek, DDOT will present its findings on its Rock Creek West II Livability Study, which looks at transportation safety on key streets. East of the park, the Office of Planning will discuss retail revitalization on 14th north of Spring Road.

There’s also a public forum on Maryland transportation priorities at 2:30 pm at SHA’s headquarters district office in Prince George’s, but based on the time of the meeting, SHA doesn’t seem to really want you to go.

After all those meetings, it’s time for some fun. The NoMA BID and Dandies & Quaintrelles (who ran the Seersucker Social) are holding a Retro Day as part of NoMA’s three-week public festival Zestfest. Retro Day, on Friday, October 22, features a classic bike show, badminton, and a Beatles rock band at the Loree Grand, 2nd and L Streets, NE. We hear Tommy Wells is going to be one of the judges of the retro bike show.

And the next day, tour DC’s West End neighborhood in the lastest CSG walking tour. It’s Saturday, October 23, 10 am at the Trader Joe’s. The tour will show off a number of exciting developments, a gas station with a green roof, and even the place Michael Jordan once lived.

If you live in Northern Virginia and are wondering why there aren’t more events in your areas on the calendar, you’ve got one: the Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition annual meeting, Thursday, October 28 at 7 pm at NVCC Alexandria.

But if you’d like to see more Northern Virginia events on our calendar, or more of anything, submit them as tips or email tips@ggwash.org and we’ll add them.