Washington DC

Expect fewer delays

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DC Washington construction ROW credit WABAAn open bicycle lane and clearly marked pedestrian walkway, such as this one in in D.C., are the exception, not the norm during construction projects. Keeping bicycle lanes free during short-term construction projects also help maintain the safety and efficiency of bicycle networks. Photo: Washington Area Bicycle Association

This post is the third in a series of case studies about Complete Streets people, places, and projects. Follow the full series over the next several weeks.

People on foot and bike are often pushed to the wayside during construction projects. New policies in Washington D.C. and Chicago could change that.

Complete Streets

Registration now open for 2014 LOCUS Leadership Summit

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2014 LOCUS Leadership Summit

Real estate developers and investors interested in building walkable neighborhoods are invited to participate in the 2014 LOCUS Leadership Summit: Closing the next [Smart Growth] deal.

The 2014 Summit will take place on June 17-18, 2014 in Washington, DC. Real estate developers, investors, members of Congress and Washington’s thought leaders will come together to discuss cutting edge design, planning, finance and management ideas you won’t find anywhere else.

LOCUS

Makers, crafters, businesses and neighborhood advocates come together for Production in the City

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Last night, neighborhood advocates came together with local manufacturers, businesses and independent crafters for Production in the City, a panel discussion and popup marketplace celebrating DC’s manufacturers and the neighborhoods they call home.

The event featured a panel discussion with Megan Parisi, Brewmaster at Bluejacket; Pranav Vora, Founder + CEO of Hugh & Crye Shirtmakers; Guy Brami, Partner at Gelberg Signs; and moderated by Ilana Preuss, Vice President and Chief of Staff of Smart Growth America. In addition, a popup marketplace with 20 local vendors showcased a variety of goods made right here in DC.

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20 local vendors will be at Production in the City. Will you?

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Bluejacket
At the Bluejacket brewery, located in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood of Washington, DC. Photo by Bluejacket via Facebook.

What do a brewmaster, a shirtmaker and a sign manufacturer all have in common? They’re all manufacturing their products right here in the greater DC area.

Join us on on Thursday, December 5, 2013 from 5:30-8:30 PM at Production in the City to shop, celebrate and discuss DC’s home-grown manufacturing economy and the role the city’s neighborhoods play in the industry’s growth.

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Join the National Complete Streets Coalition at the 2013 National Walking Summit

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Walking Summit
Complete Streets features make this street in Bellingham, WA safer and more accessible for pedestrians. Photo by Walkable Communities, via Flickr.

In early October, the National Complete Streets Coalition, a program of Smart Growth America, will be at the National Walking Summit here in Washington, D.C., sharing information and skills for successful Complete Streets policy and implementation with the many other national and local leaders in attendance.

Walking is the most basic form of travel, an easy way to be physically active and a powerful tool for economic and social well-being of our communities. The Coalition works to improve safety and access to community destinations for people who travel by foot, as well as by wheelchair, bicycle, public transportation, or automobile.

On the Summit’s opening day, October 1, join our 4:00 PM session “Completing Our Streets: Policy and Advocacy Tools to Get You Moving.” Laura Searfoss, our Policy Associate, will open the session with the basics on Complete Streets policy: What makes a good Complete Streets policy? Who has one already? Why does any community even need one?

Complete Streets

Complete Streets leaders celebrate 500 policies and look forward to the movement's future

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On August 14, 2013, Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition celebrated the 500 communities across the United States that have made their streets safer and more accessible for everyone who uses them with Complete Streets policies, and looked ahead to the future of the Complete Streets movement.

The 500th Complete Streets Policy celebration honored Memphis, TN for passing the milestone policy, and featured a panel of experts including Rich Weaver of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA); Kyle Wagenschutz, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Memphis,TN; Art Guzzetti, Vice President of Policy at APTA; Colleen Hawkinson, AICP, Manager, Strategic Planning Branch, DDOT; Darren Smith, Policy Representative, National Association of Realtors and Jeff Miller, President & CEO, Alliance for Biking and Walking. The panel discussion was moderated by Roger Millar, PE AICP, Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition.

Complete Streets

Join us to celebrate DC's food entrepreneurs and the neighborhoods they call home

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Union Market in Washington, DC. Photo by Tom Bridge via Flickr.

Washington, DC is gaining attention for its new food scene, and the city’s great neighborhoods are helping making that possible.

Join us on Thursday, June 20, 2013 for Food in the City: Creating food centers and communities, a panel discussion and reception about the intersection of smart growth development and DC’s burgeoning food community. Weigh in about how small businesses are changing real estate, and how the city can support food industry entrepreneurs through better development.

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Development-oriented transit: How value-capture launched DC’s newest neighborhood

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The 2013 LOCUS Leadership Summit was held on June 3-5, 2013 in Washington, D.C. A walking tour of NoMa was one of the many items in this year’s agenda.

At certain times of day, competition for an available bicycle can be fierce at the Capital Bikeshare station on the corner of 1st and M Street NE in Washington, D.C. That intersection serves as the unofficial crossroads for the city’s newest and fastest growing neighborhood, NoMa (short for “North of Massachusetts Avenue”), where a building boom is in full swing. On a typical weeknight, the sidewalks of NoMa brim with young professionals, who stop in at the new Harris Teeter grocery store or CVS pharmacy before heading to one of the nearby apartment buildings or the local Metro station. High above, the numerous construction cranes dotting the neighborhood serve as reminder that the frenetic pace of growth in the area shows no signs of slowing.

LOCUS

The WalkUP Wake-Up Call: DC

A series of reports take a look at three metropolitan areas and find pent-up demand for walkable urban neighborhoods across the country. The reports identify regionally significant walkable urban places, or “WalkUPs,” and rank them based on economic performance, measured by the real estate valuations for each product type and the fiscal revenues generated for local governments, and by social equity performance, measured by accessibility, opportunity, and affordability for residents. Looking ahead to future opportunities, the reports also identify emerging and potential WalkUPs where new development could go.

LOCUS