Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Network Roundup

Happy 35th Birthday, D.C. Metro

Highlights from the Streetsblog Network today: commentary on how transit investment and demographic change are shaping cities.

false

D.C.'s Metro as a Case Study in Urban Redevelopment: Happy Birthday, D.C. Metro! Washington's transit system turns 35 this week. Yonah Freemark at the Transport Politic takes the opportunity to examine the system's effect on urban development patterns. The data shows it's not quite as straightforward as "build it and they will come." Looking at the nine stations that opened between 1997 and 2001, only three have seen significant new development following their introduction. Many neighborhoods on the Green Line, which ran through one of the city's weaker real estate markets, saw a decline in construction following the introduction of rail transit, Freemark observes. "This does not mean that the opening of the new Metro stations was not an important element of regional growth in Washington, but rather that that infrastructure in itself is not enough to encourage developer interest," he writes. "In the case of many of these stations, land was not available, zoning was not free enough, and the neighborhoods were not attractive enough to see substantial change, at least over the past ten years."

Smart Transit Station Placement in the Bay Area: The importance of putting transit stations in the right place isn't lost on Bay Area planners, according to The Overhead Wire. The blog says BART extension plans, while not perfect, get it right in at least one case: The Livermore station is positioned in a dense residential area, rather than a highway-accessible location with ample parking. The Overhead Wire credits the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's TOD policy [PDF]. But not everyone gets it. One Livermore resident laments: "I guess the thing that's hardest for me to comprehend is that they're putting this train right down the most populated part (of the city) they could come up with." That was the point, the Overhead Wire writes, and that is exactly the type of planning that will make the system's $3.8 billion investment worthwhile.

The Complexities of D.C.'s Demographic Change: The news that D.C. just barely maintained its black majority in the latest Census count is sparking debate in the nation's capital. Richard Layman at Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space writes that the real issue isn't race -- it's income, educational attainment, school quality, and the appetite for urban living. Middle-class black migration out of the city is a major factor that most writers overlook, he observes. As the white and Latino populations of D.C. have grown, so has the black population of suburban Prince George's County and Charles County. Layman argues that, in many parts of D.C., whites are simply moving in to areas where middle-class blacks have left. Since this doesn't fit the definition of displacement, what's happening in D.C. isn't the typical gentrification pattern, he writes.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Are We All Living in a ‘Carspiracy’?

How does "car-brain" shape the way we think about the world — even in relatively bike-friendly countries like the U.K.?

July 26, 2024

Friday’s Headlines Share and Share Alike

Bikeshares, and e-bikes and scooters generally, are becoming more popular. That's led to more injuries, highlighting the need for better infrastructure.

July 26, 2024

What the Heck is Going on With the California E-Bike Incentive Program?

The program's launch has been delayed for two years, and currently "there is no specific timeline" for it. Plus the administrator, Pedal Ahead, is getting dragged, but details are vague.

July 26, 2024

Talking Headways Podcast: Have Cities Run Out of Land?

Chris Redfearn of USC and Anthony Orlando of Cal Poly Pomona on why "pro-business" Texas housing markets are catching up to "pro-regulation" California and what it might mean for future city growth.

July 25, 2024

The Paris Plan for Olympic Traffic? Build More Bike Lanes

A push to make Paris fully bikable for the Olympics is already paying dividends long before the opening ceremonies.

July 25, 2024
See all posts