Posts about Public Spaces

Before the age of suburban development and private shopping mall, cities always included grand public spaces for relaxation and socializing. Sometimes these spaces were formal, grassy parks and sometimes these places were paved plazas like the piazzas in Italy.

Unlike private shopping malls, which serve as the de facto gathering places in most suburbs, public streets, squares, and parks in cities are by their virtue open to the public. With the bright lights, movie theaters, restaurants, and ample seating space on the steps of the museum, Chinatown is a unique attraction for nightlife of all ages. The fact that it sits atop three Metro lines makes it accessible and a convenient meeting place for people coming from all over the city.

Criminal behavior and ill-behaved teenagers do reduce the enjoyment of the space for everyone else, including the vast majority of well-behaved teenagers. This must be addressed through police patrols; Chinatown's popularity and importance warrants a continuous MPD presence the way the NYPD constantly patrols Times Square.

Even still, public spaces by definition are open to the public and must remain that way. Part of the charm of Chinatown is that it is unpredictable and boisterous. Its liveliness, let's remember, is largely owed to the liveliness of excited, but law-abiding, youth.

Just as teens skateboarded in Silver Spring's plaza because they had no better place, if young people are hanging out in Gallery Place, the better approach would be to give them a better place to go that meets their needs instead of just trying to annoy them away somewhere else.

More importantly, this device probably violates the law.

The DC Human Rights Act makes it illegal "to deny, directly or indirectly, any person the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodations." (Our emphasis)

Unequal treatment is illegal if it is "wholly or partially for a discriminatory reason based on the actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, or place of residence or business of any individual." (Our emphasis)

Whoever installed this device clearly did so with the intention of driving away young people who have an equal right to be at the Metro entrance. The device's manufacturer doesn't mask the age-discrimination motivation of the Mosquito and even markets it as "a simple, safe and benign way to disperse crowds of anti-social youth." There's no explanation as to how the device knows who is "anti-social" and who isn't. Few people would describe a toddler or infant as "anti-social", but the device doesn't care for such nuance.

The ethical problem with the device is clear: it purposely aims to annoy and deny equal use of public accommodations to law-abiding people solely on account of their age. All insidious forms of discrimination derive from desire to withhold one's goodwill from a person for characteristics that don't merit distinction.

Several papers are reporting the installation, but few are addressing the civil rights aspect of it. Young people are equally entitled to use these public places lawfully and social interaction in the public sphere is a key part of urban life, even if it occasionally gets rowdy. Police patrols are a more effective means of maintaining order in Chinatown as they can address activities that are actually illegal.

The developer probably doesn't care much for the ethics of the matter, but the DC Human Rights Act makes its use illegal. An investigation by the city's Office of Human Rights is a call the developer will hear loudly.

Yet his goodwill is shot by County Executive Ike Leggett's decision to boot skaters out of Veterans Plaza and into the newly-opened Woodside skate spot, located in a quiet residential neighborhood several blocks away. Neighbors are already complaining about noise, trash, and misbehavior, while skaters say the space is far too small for them to use, with over fifty kids there on a normal afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Regional Services Center hasn't really made a case for the ban, only talking to skaters protesting the ban after after it took effect. I spoke to Gwen Haney of the Regional Services Center, who told me that skateboarding "damages" the concrete covering the ice rink, yet last week I saw a concert in the same space with a big, heavy stage and multiple SUVs parked behind it. Couldn't a 3,000-pound truck create more damage than a kid with a piece of wood?

Haney also told me that she "heard the thumps" of skaters in the plaza and was annoyed. But that noise is easily drowned out by rush hour traffic, idling trucks, passing trains, planes flying overhead, sirens, the screams of young children, and loud music from live concerts. This isn't a library, it's a plaza in the middle of an urban area. Noise is to be expected.

And even Rodriguez' own statement on the decision insists that there's no way to "consistently and successfully [regulate]" skateboarding in the plaza. Yet I've seen a security guard hustling eight-year-olds with rollerblades out of the plaza, and cops regularly patrol the space. It appears that regulation is possible, so why isn't the county willing to consider it?

Though there's been a lot of talk about letting spontaneity rule in Veterans Plaza, Montgomery County has firmly led the charge on how this public space is being used. It's a very suburban response: if we don't like something, we'll send it somewhere else. While it hasn't necessarily made the plaza a less vibrant place - as Cavan Wilk pointed out yesterday, people continue to flock there - it sets a bad precedent for dealing with future conflicts in the space.

The great challenge of Veterans Plaza, its predecessor "the Turf," or any urban public space is that people will do things in it you do not like, and we still have to accommodate them. This area is vibrant, sometimes messy. Of course, no one wants to see people getting hurt or robbed there. But concerns about crime shouldn't prompt us to try and control how our public spaces are used.

Ever since the revitalization of downtown Silver Spring began, I've had to defend it from people who complain that it feels "fake," "sterile," or "commercialized." As I always say, "the buildings are fake, but the people are real." Public spaces like Veterans Plaza allow us to create our own culture, drawing people who aren't interested in places like Bethesda and Clarendon where redevelopment has made them less diverse, not more so.

To me, skaters are a representation of Silver Spring's local culture. In downtown Silver Spring, skaters from affluent Chevy Chase and Kensington rub elbows with skaters from poor Langley Park and Petworth. Like the filmmakers who come here for the SilverDocs festival each summer, our skaters have built a pastime for themselves and those who watch them. The skaters I've met are smart, well-spoken and trying to become engaged in the community, which sounds right in line with Silver Spring's history of liberal activism.

Yet County Executive Ike Leggett's sent a message to them, and to all of us, that it's not worth fighting for something you care about. Those in charge won't listen to you, and they won't give you good excuses, either.

A good square is a democracy - it gives people a place to call their own, but hopefully gives them a conscience about how their actions affect others. Users of Veterans Plaza deserve a chance to show they can take care of it. So far, they haven't been given one.

The "ramp spaghetti" in front of the Kennedy Center, the freeway under Juarez Circle, the ramps to the Whitehurst, and Rock Creek create a big barrier between Foggy Bottom and the waterfront, and many small park segments many of which are inaccessible or underutilized.

The plan includes new pedestrian connections across Rock Creek and the Potomac, and suggests decking some of the freeway ramps to the Whitehurst to build better parks. It also resurrects the Kennedy Center's ideas to cover the ramps between it and E Street to connect it to the neighborhood.

Of course, covering freeways is expensive, or we'd do it all the time. That freeway is also wider than it needs to be, since it was originally built to continue up along Florida Avenue or K Street. Some of the ramps could probably come down instead of being decked over.

Besides improving the waterfront access, DePillis reports that the plan includes a new entrance to Foggy Bottom Metro, benches at Juarez Circle, a Native American cultural center, and another performing arts center near the Kennedy Center. DePillis couldn't post the entire plan, but we look forward to seeing more!

Given the situation, should this block even be a street? Would it make more sense to close it off and call it a park? Or maybe go halfway and continue to allow cars, but in a redesigned space? Or maybe this block is so valuable precisely because it's a street rather than another park square, and we should leave well enough alone.

The great thing about the world of urbanist blogging is that we can ask these questions, and get an educated, insightful discussion going. So what do you think? Convert this block to a full-time park? Leave it a street but program things differently? Leave it be? If you think it ought to change, what's the ideal solution?

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

Daniel writes,

The authors suggest that the perpetual calls to "revitalize" Fulton may be more situated in particular cultural values than anchored to actual numbers.

"Fulton Mall continued to be judged not by the literal value of the goods sold but by the cultural value that the mainstream applied to them, thus trapping its public image as a failure. Given these terms, what could success look like?"

Rosten Woo surmises that the real motivation behind the various revitalization schemes has not been to create a more successful retail environment, but rather to create a public amenity attractive to the new affluent white residents moving in to the brownstones and condos around it.

There are other aspects of Fulton Mall that everyone agrees are problematic. For example, there are no benches, and many of the upper floors of the buildings are entirely vacant. Historic buildings have garish facades covering up their beautiful detailing. However, the street has many small, independent shops, good ground floor permeability, some street trees, and excellent transit.

We need to avoid the tendency to assume that good urbanism only looks like whatever we like. Good urbanism is about creating places that many people want to go, where they are safe, where there are activities, and where they don't have to travel long distances or be forced to use automobiles to satisfy life's everyday needs.

If those people are black teenagers and they want to roll around on little boards, they should be accommodated just as much as if they're 30-something white couples with strollers who want to pop into a baby boutique. That assumes that the people in question aren't committing crimes, but as Dan has noted, skateboarding gives many teens something to do that doesn't involve mischief.

We see a similar dynamic in the debates about bars or dog parks. Bars generally appeal to younger people, and some older residents share their fists at the proliferation of bars. There needs to be a balance between accommodating social gathering and not creating too much noise too late at night or creating magnets for crime. Dog parks appeal to dog owners, of course, and likewise there needs to be a balance between letting dogs get exercise and not having too much barking too late at night, or poop that doesn't get cleaned up, or other side effects.

Cafes and skating likewise create some side effects (trash that can attract rodents for cafes, for example), but bars, dog parks, summer outdoor movies, playgrounds, cafes, and skate areas are all ways groups of people can and should utilize our public spaces. And all, whether skating kids of any color, seniors, parents, recent college grads who like to drink, dog owners, or anyone else, are entitled to have some public space for their enjoyment.

Update: To clarify, I'm not arguing that skateboarding should be encouraged or even allowed in every public space, just like dog exercise or picnicking or softball should not be accommodated in every public space. However, some of yesterday's comments leaned more toward "skateboarding is an evil that should be stamped out," instead of "skateboarders should get their own skate park in Silver Spring so they don't need to use the plaza." Each public space can accommodate a different set of activities, but communities should design their mix of public spaces to provide opportunities for the full range of uses residents would like to make of their spaces.

Up on an elevated walkway between Fenton Street and the Whole Foods parking lot, a row of shoppers-turned-spectators admire the whole scene. Their eyes are fixed on the Civic Building, where a dozen teenage boys are making the skatepark Silver Spring has yet to give them. They line up in the wide portico holding their skateboards, taking turns as they did jumps off a couple of steps a hundred feet away.

"Looks like they've already turned it into a skatepark," I hear a middle-aged couple grumble as they walk past.

A block away on Ellsworth Drive, it's business as usual: people are crowded around a stage for the weekly summer concert series, and a security guard is lecturing a kid on rollerblades. Except ten minutes later, I see him in Veterans Plaza, making a slalom course out of a line of benches.

The Downtown Silver Spring complex on Ellsworth Drive has always had a tortured relationship with skaters, who flock to the street despite being harassed by security guards. Are they directing skaters off their property and into the public plaza? If so, would Montgomery County kick them out as well?

"Definitively an issue," writes Reemberto Rodriguez, director of the Silver Spring Regional Services Center, in an e-mail. "It is a balancing act between how to be welcoming of all activity that brings the Plaza alive with the charge to keep it clean, safe, and in good condition." He notes that he's seen a "very positive reception" to skaters from other people in the plaza.

The need for a skatepark in downtown Silver Spring has been known for years. Kids are often kicked out of otherwise-unused pocket parks and on Ellsworth Drive and elsewhere, though planning for a temporary skate spot in Woodside Park is underway. It's not surprising that they've taken to Veterans Plaza with their skateboards. The question is how they'll get along with everyone else who'd like to use the space and how to handle potential conflicts between them.

On his blog, Rodriguez has drafted a "code of conduct" for the plaza - what he calls a "statement of our desires, expectations, and commitment for public behavior." He's looking for suggestions from the community to make it better.

For now, at least, the county wants to make everyone welcome in Veterans Plaza. "I am in conversation with the skaters—and many others—to see that we do this in a way that is respectful of all," writes Rodriguez.

8) Columbia Road NW

Running from the McMillian Reservoir down to Kalorama, Columbia Road connects some of Northwest's hippest neighborhoods. In Park View and Columbia Heights, it is mostly one-way residential, boasting attractive Federal and Victorian row houses, respectively.

West of 14th Street, it transitions into more of a main street. Most notably, it is the axis between the hearts of Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan, connecting two of the hottest night life districts in the city.

7) Pennsylvania Avenue NW/SE

When it comes to monumental, it doesn't get bigger than Pennsylvania Avenue, perhaps anywhere in the world. It is the axis between the White House and the Capitol, but so much more. It begins in Georgetown and runs through Foggy Bottom and Washington Circle.

East of the Capitol, it runs through some of the more prominent neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, including Eastern Market and Barney Circle before heading over the John Phillip Sousa Bridge to Randle Highlands and Fort Davis Park. Of course, it is most famous for 1600, the address we all associate with the home of the President of our great nation.

6) H Street NE

For 35 years, H Street reeled from the 1968 riots that hit the corridor quite hard. But for the last eight years, a community-based program to revitalize the stretch has been transforming it into the face of Northeast DC. It will host the first streetcar in the city since they were dismantled in 1962.

The arts and entertainment district by the Atlas Theatre has seen the opening of eclectic night spots like H Street Country Club, Rock and Roll Hotel, Star and Shamrock, Bier Garten Haus, Palace of Wonders, Little Miss Whiskey's, and Sova, giving the stretch a night life that is beginning to rival Adams Morgan's.

Currently, the ubiquitous construction on the route makes it not much to look at at the moment, but the promise of street cars and vibrant night life has already started to be realized, assuring H Street will be a great street for generations.

5) 14th Street SW/NW

When entering Washington from Virginia on the 14th Street Bridge, it is immediately obvious that you are in a capital city, passing the Mint Bureau of Engraving and Printing and then through the heart of the National Mall.

At Thomas Circle, the street becomes a little less monumental and a little more local, while remaining iconic. Brilliant modern buildings have been sprouting up by classic older buildings, creating an interesting and exciting streetscape.

Perhaps most recognizable these days would be the fantastic redevelopment of Columbia Heights, now one of the most vibrant neighborhoods on the east coast. North of there, 14th Street is a little sleepier but nonetheless charming through 16th Street Heights all the way to Brightwood. From national icon to neighborhood main street, 14th has shown the character and continuity of the DC city street.

4) U Street NW

Bars, jazz and rock music venues, and chili half smokes are what you're likely to seek on U Street's prominent corridor between 9th and 16th. But there is a great deal of local history tied to it as well. The African American Civil War Memorial sits at 10th and U.

A few blocks east, U Street runs through historic LeDroit Park. The intersection of 14th and U marks the epicenter of the 1968 riots destroyed much of the corridor among others in the city. It also represents one of the most successful urban revitalization efforts in the United States. 40 years after the intersection was decimated by unrest, it was the site of celebration after the election of Barack Obama.

3) Rhode Island Avenue NE/NW

There are many roads to use to enter the city, many of them the monumental state avenues. Rhode Island is my favorite because it enters from the charming trolley suburb/artists community Mount Rainier.

From there it passes through Woodridge, which right now isn't as charming as it has been in the past or will be in the future, it typifies outer DC residential neighborhoods with a charming mix of bungalows and colonials. From South Dakota to the train tracks, it separates Brookland in the north from Langdon to the southeast and Brentwood to the southwest. The urbanism slowly intensifies up to the Rhode Island Avenue station, which actually has quite remarkable views of the monuments from the platform. The area around the station is also slated for improvements.

Next is Eckington, where you begin to see historic row houses. Shaw is next, including the now-revived Logan Circle, which has become some of DC's choicest real estate. Finally it comes to an end on Connecticut just south of Dupont Circle, surrounded by office towers with a healthy mix of urban nightlife nearby. Rhode Island Avenue showcases just about everything DC has to offer, from quiet suburban Woodridge to the hustle and bustle of the Golden Triangle.

2) Massachusetts Avenue SE/NE/NW
Home to many of the embassies, Massachusetts Avenue is in a way the face of DC to the rest of the world. Starting in the East End amidst some classic brick Federals, it pushes on through the older heart of Capitol Hill including Lincoln Park and Stanton Park, home to many Hill staffers from all over the United States. Anyone arriving by train knows Union Station at Columbus Circle as the grand entrance to the city.

Next, it passes through a series of geometric landmarks: Mount Vernon Square, Thomas Circle, Scott Circle, Dupont Circle, and Sheridan Circle.

Somewhere in there, the embassies start. Embassy Row, formerly known as Millionaire's Row, is home to some of the most spectacular buildings in the city. 58 Embassies lie on Embassy Row, with 47 of them holding an address on Massachusetts Avenue. Just beyond Ward Circle sits American University, one of DC's many prestigious institutions of higher learning. From there, it passes through Spring Valley to Westmoreland Circle, address of some of DC's finest Colonials. Through three quadrants and numerous neighborhoods, Massachusetts Avenue connects some of the best that DC has to offer, and for many diplomats, politicos, students, and tourists, it is the face of the city.

1) Q Street NW/NE

I think Q stands for Quiet and Quaint. Starting from the west just past Wisconsin Avenue, Q street runs past the Tudor Place mansion through Dumbarton Oaks, perhaps the most beautiful part of any downtown in any large American city I have ever seen.

After the bridge over Rock Creek Park, Q passes just south of Sheridan Circle and just north of Dupont Circle and Logan Circle, by-passing the traffic (and making a nice bike ride) while still basking in the charm of those three distinct neighborhoods.

Between 17th and 16th you have the Cairo, the largest DC residential building, a gorgeous and historic 164 foot tower. It passes through the heart of Shaw before ending in Eckington. The entire length is characterized by some of DC's most beautiful Federals and Victorians, often with charming gardens in front. It is one of the cleanest and friendliest streets in DC, close to just about everything but quiet and less traveled than nearby P Street.

Researching these streets has been fun and interesting. However, there are certainly streets that I haven't yet discovered in this fine city. What are your favorite streets?

Honorable Mentions:

• P Street NW: The stately link between Georgetown, Dupont, and Logan Circle
  
• Benning Road NE: Perhaps not much to look at now, but the promise of streetcars brings much potential
  
• Kansas Avenue NW: The charming heart of Petworth
  
• South Carolina SE: Capitol Hill's unassuming beauty
  
• Kennedy Street NW/NE: Dynamic up-and-coming Vinegar Hill destination
  
• Wisconsin Avenue NW: Grand corridor between Bethesda and Georgetown
  
• Reno Road NW: Scenic alternative to Wisconsin and Connecticut

18) M Street SW/SE

From the Southwest Waterfront to Nationals Stadium to the boathouses past Barney Circle, I love watching things on M Street (south) get better. Gone are the days when I would park in a seedy abandoned lot to attend a rave at Nation night club.

There is a rather handsome baseball stadium by that old spot, and I have not had to drive to that neck of the woods since the Metro opened there. Waterfront and Navy Yard are still up-and-coming, but what a world of difference the last five years have made for the M Street corridor. Fortunately, its growth it is being well documented.

17) Florida Avenue NW/NE

Excluding a troublesome intersection with New York Avenue and a couple not-so-scenic blocks by U Street, Florida Avenue is a street that exemplifies the beauty and culture of DC. Originally known as Boundary Street, it was the border for the original City of Washington. It hosts many beautiful row houses and charming walk-ups. Gallaudet University faces the homes of Capitol Hill North along the eastern stretch.

But perhaps most notable is the intersection of Florida and T near LeDroit Park, where the Howard Theater sits. Currently languishing in disrepair, a plan is in place to return the historic landmark to its original splendor, putting yet another colorful destination along Florida Avenue.

16) Beach Drive

This passage through an urban forest has enchanted me since I was a child. Entering the District in Chevy Chase, it runs its course mostly as a lazy, meandering creekside route, a rather fitting approach to the National Zoo.

It passes under regal bridges before ending on the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway in Woodley Park. The best part about Beach Drive is that it is closed to automobiles on weekends so that joggers, walkers, and bikers can enjoy the majesty of this uniquely preserved urban wilderness.

15) Georgia Avenue/7th St NW/SW

Start at Zanzibar on the Southwest Waterfront. Work your way up past the Mall and Gallery Place, beyond the Convention Center. At LeDroit Park, 7th Street is dedicated to Chuck Brown, the father of Go-Go, a uniquely DC brand of music.

North of Florida it becomes Georgia Avenue, the main street for Howard University, Petworth, Vinegar Hill, and Brightwood before crossing Eastern Avenue into Silver Spring. 7th/Georgia is the primary north-south corridor for the city, and truly is one of DC"s most iconic routes.

14) Good Hope Road

Good Hope is an aptly named route that is the face of Anacostia's historic district. Like much of the rest of that area, many areas are under construction as revitalization sweeps through River East's most iconic neighborhood. One quiet spot, though, is the wooded stretch through Fort Stanton Park. Good Hope is the hallmark of River East, in more ways than one.

13) MacArthur Boulevard NW

This quiet tree-lined boulevard with a grassy median runs from Foxhall past the Georgetown Reservoir and up towards Glen Echo in Maryland. The Palisades neighborhood runs along the southern side of most of the route. Part of me likes passing through a gorgeous neighborhood I know I can never afford. Part of me likes the quiet, lazy pace of this street. Part of me likes the small town feel. Put it all together and you have one of the most pleasant and scenic boulevards in the area.

12) Trinidad Avenue NE

The Trinidad neighborhood is perhaps most widely known as the part of town that was shut down last summer two years ago by police chief Cathy Lanier, who sought what were later deemed to be unconstitutional searches of any non-resident entering the neighborhood after a murder spree there.

Unfortunately, this negative impression of the Northeast enclave has tarnished the reputation of another up-and-coming neighborhood. Though it may not boast the affluence of other Capitol Hill neighborhoods, but if you're looking for boarded windows and abandoned warehouses, you're not going to find any on Trinidad Avenue. When I take people through Trinidad, they are often quite surprised to see a quiet neighborhood with mature trees and manicured front gardens.

11) Connecticut Avenue NW

From Farragut Square to Chevy Chase, Connecticut Avenue is the charming main street through several gorgeous parkside neighborhoods. The Red Line has helped create desirable neighborhoods and vibrant night life in Dupont Circle, Woodley Park, and Cleveland Park. Scenic street life is complimented by an elegant bridge over Rock Creek and the main entrance to the National Zoo.

Tomorrow: #10 through #1, the champion.

Most people won't ever have a reason to go inside, but they'll catch glimpses of United Therapeutics' work in a spectacular new plaza along Cameron Street. There, designers at Schick Goldstein Architects have created something hard to find in downtown Silver Spring: an attractive pocket park.

Two weeks ago, I visited the complex when it played host to a "Community Conversation" hosted by my boss. There, I saw Paul Mahon, UniTher's Executive Vice President for Strategic Planning. "We wanted to provide a lot of surprises to make it as exciting outside as we think what's happening inside is," he explains. "We wanted to give back to the community with an interesting building and great public spaces."

Outside the meeting, I ran into Jill Schick, principal of Schick Goldstein Architects. She was there with a professional photographer taking pictures of their new building and showed me around the plaza. Stools with geometric patterns or the names of elements on them litter the space. (They glow different colors in the dark.) A flat, round fountain drowns out the din of traffic, while discreetly placed speakers play New Age music.

But the most compelling part of the plaza are the benches, which came from Argentina and form concentric circles. Jill explains that they're made out of concrete, but you wouldn't know it from their smooth, black finish, giving the impression of a much softer material. Pressing your thumb against the bench, you expect it to give a little as if it were made of plastic or rubber.

The finish is already worn in some places. "You can see the skateboarders have already gotten to them," Jill laments.

It's likely that kids came here to skate because no one else is around. On Saturday, I returned to the plaza and ran into John Wetmore, a Bethesda resident who hosts Perils for Pedestrians, the nation's only TV show about pedestrian issues. He asked me what I was taking pictures of, and I explained how much I like the new plaza.

"What's it look like at lunchtime?" he asks. "Is it full of people?"

Other than a plastic cup someone left on one of the benches, there isn't much evidence that people come here to eat. Much of the new building's first floor has been set aside for stores and restaurants, though it's vacant. (UniTher's currently using it as an "Education center" to give the public a first-hand look at what they do.) When the space is filled, Jill says that a portion of the plaza has been set aside specifically for outdoor dining.

Earlier this week, George and I took a tour with Pat Poisson, Vice President of Manufacturing and Facility Operations. He's worked for other pharmaceutical companies before, and notes that it's "very unusual" for one to locate in the middle of a city. "It's a unique approach and it's great to be a part of it," he says. "We don't have to get in the car and drive to lunch."

Inside, what's most exciting are the spaces you can't see. We can't say much about what happens there, as a lot of the equipment is proprietary and pending FDA approval so they can actually start making medicine. But I can say that the opaque glass walls that cover much of the building's street frontage hide mundane things, like offices and mechanical rooms.

As is the case downstairs, the most compelling part of the building is outside. The sixth and seventh floors, containing the company's corporate offices, open onto roof decks with panoramic views of downtown Silver Spring. They're covered in lush vegetation, making them feel less like a roof and more like a garden.

From the deck, you can see Spring and Cameron streets, which today look pretty quiet but could become much busier in coming years. The Cameron, a new apartment building across the street, has its own pocket park and ground-level retail space as well.

And UniTher's third building, set to replace their old offices along Spring Street, will include even more room for shops — not to mention, of course, a bridge over Cameron Street connecting it to the rest of the campus and a multi-story video screen. It will start construction "soon," say county planners.

Former Washington Post architecture critic Benjamin Forgey once said, "There are so many bad buildings in Silver Spring, it's a hard place to do good." He might be due for another visit, because we've got some pretty great buildings to show him.

Check out this slideshow of United Therapeutics' headquarters, inside and out (but mostly out).

9) Van Ness Street NW

To the west, Van Ness Street starts in a pathetically out of place suburban neighborhood in Spring Valley. There are no sidewalks, and the houses are rather disappointing for Spring Valley. In a neighborhood where you'd expect palatial mansions, these look like something out of Olney.

At the other end, it fronts a couple of nasty super blocks that eliminate any street grids. Van Ness Street is fronted by a fence to protect you from the horrible modern architecture. And this is all right on top of Van Ness Metro.

8) New York Avenue NE/NW

Where to start? The freeway signs hanging over a historic downtown neighborhood? The freeway style set up along the train tracks? The traffic? The lack of a safe pedestrian environment? The cut through at the nameless circle at Montana Avenue? The truck stop urbanism at Bladensburg Road? The failed attempt to improve on that truck stop urbanism? The fact that one of the monumental avenues with vistas to the White House has been transformed into a poor man's freeway? Or the emaciation of the Ivy City neighborhood caused by said freeway? I'll let you pick.

7) North Capitol Street

Parts of this famous, historic axis are some of the most beautiful in the city. But for what it should be, one of the primary approaches to the seat of our nation's government, it falls disappointingly short.

From the southern vehicular terminus, D Street, the first thing you pass on the right are two giant surface parking lots, considered the most offensive parking lots in the city. They sit between the Capitol and Union Station. Apparently we haven't found a more suitable use for some of the most expensive real estate on earth beyond free parking for congressional staff.

North of there, there are steadily improving blocks in NoMa. But just before New York Avenue, the underpasses begin. I can understand one underpass here and there, but North Capitol has three. The worst part is that they make it impossible to cross North Capitol at adjacent blocks.

In Bloomingdale, there's the undeveloped lot at the McMillian sand filtration site, a suburban hospital complex, and then a gigantic freeway cloverleaf that serves no real purpose at Irving Street. Beyond that is basically a freeway to nowhere until Taylor Street, where it eventually becomes a residential artery. This is hardly the monumental thoroughfare it ought to be.

6) Delaware Avenue SW

I bet many years before I was born, this was actually a very charming street with breathtaking views of the Capitol. Stand at Delaware and M today, and you get a view of parking lots. There's definitely no view of the Capitol. North of the freeway the road was removed to make way for acres of free parking for congressional staff. And if you're looking for charming row houses, try one of the other 13 Colonies. Everything on Delaware Avenue, including much of the street grid, fell victim to urban renewal. If you enjoy hideous architecture, by all means bring your camera.

5) E Street NW

Ah, the monumental street that creates the axis between the White House and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. What amazing views one must have walking down this street. Wrong. At 20th Street, E Street becomes an expressway. What should be a monumental entrance to the Kennedy Center is a spaghetti freeway interchange.

4) Malcolm X Avenue SE
I have never felt safe driving on Malcolm X Avenue, which is odd because I feel perfectly safe walking on the less secluded, more well lit MLK Avenue it crosses. But what really infuriates me is that instead of a civil rights memorial or an African American history museum, the corner of MLK and Malcolm X has a fried chicken chain across the street from a liquor store. Bad urban planning has never been so racist.

3) Chappie James Blvd SW
Every time I have ever been on Bolling AFB I cringe at the painfully wasteful land use. Had this not been a military base, this would probably be one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in DC. Instead, Chappie James Blvd is the main road through the base, and although it is more than a mile and a half long, and it is not fronted by a single building. This, of course, keeps the views of the snout-fronted servicemen housing wide open.

2) Fort Lincoln Drive NE

It's as if someone cut a piece out of Loudoun County and transplanted it where the Anacostia River meets the Maryland line. This sprawling mess of a development is probably more out of place than any other in the District. Fort Lincoln Drive is excessively wide, and it has practically no cross streets. There's nowhere to cross to get to that sprawling recreation complex.

The rear alley parking setup that seems to work for all the adjacent neighborhoods is not present here. Instead, the Fort Lincoln neighborhood forgoes front lawns or porches for paved parking. They will need those spaces when the big box development at the edge of the neighborhood will not be reachable on foot despite being less than half a mile away. Of course, you can't see any of that from Fort Lincoln Drive itself, because it is not fronted by a single building for its entire length.

1) Constitution Avenue NW

Freeway fed at the western end and excessively wide with no median, it is hard to decide whether it is more unsafe to walk or drive on Constitution. This certainly isn't the most pedestrian unfriendly road in the area, or even the city, but considering it fronts the Mall, several museums, most of the major monuments and memorials, the Ellipse, and of course the Capitol, this road sees a good deal more tourists and recreation seekers than most others, and it is designed like an urban speedway.

Dishonorable mentions:

• Firth Stirling Avenue SE: Stark, traffic clogged landscape
  
• Naylor Road SE: Inconsistent building types and an unsafe feel
  
• Brentwood Road NE: Blank walls and big boxes next to Metro
  
• Virginia Avenue NW/SW: Freeway feel in the north, industrial access road in the south
  
• T Street SW: Surface parking and dead industrial buildings on a riverfront approach
  
• Blair Road NW: Horrible blank wall along the train tracks
  
• Klingle Road NW: Freeway interchange to a closed and neglected traffic sewer through the woods

Are these the worst streets in DC? What streets would you say are the worst?