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Revitalizing Washington, D.C.'s Downtown. In Washington, D.C., federal employees compose one-third of downtown workers, and many of them are still working remotely at least part of the time. This poses a challenge to the city's mayor, Muriel Bowser, who considers supporting the city's downtown a major focus. Another issue unique to the city is that even if these buildings are completely empty, some have been designed for high-security purposes making it difficult to repurpose into housing or other uses. Since the city's downtown is almost 90% commercial, having more of a mix could lead to a more vibrant and resilient place. (CityLab)
The Foundations of a Heat-Resistant City. Due to various factors such as the extensive use of concrete, cities can be as much as 7 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than surrounding rural areas. To uncover solutions to this problem, Grist collaborated with climate experts and urban planners to highlight a few different technologies and strategies for cooling down cities. Possibilities include installing shade structures in playgrounds, using alternative materials for pavement such as resin from trees, and installing solar panels in parking lots. (Grist)
How to Reconnect Neighborhoods. Now that the federal government has committed $1 billion to the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program, many communities are reflecting on the best ways of dealing with divisive highways. A recent article recommends learning from past projects to avoid mistakes. For example, projects like boulevardization, which reduces space from cars for more pedestrian-friendly spaces, need to be carefully considered so that they do indeed reunite neighborhoods instead of spurring gentrification and harming the populations these changes are meant to support. (Streetsblog USA)
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