GDS development project -- under reconsideration?

[Anonymous]

Greater Greater Washington is a complete and utter sham. It is the greedy developers' tool in every development issue confronting this city and is totally unconcerned with the tax base of this city which is middle and upper middle class income taxes. GGW wants a city of entertainment "smart" (aka dumb) growth entertainment "districts" and "affordable" housing. Both of these actually ignore the real tax base of the city and do so at their peril. The people who actually pay the bills here (who don't spend their time blogging in mommy's basement) and go out and work will leave the District for the suburbs where they can enjoy their homes in peace and not be assaulted by some ridiculous development project every few weeks.

[Anonymous]

So HS students designing a bike storage option is a bad idea? yeah right

[Anonymous]

Ah, but it's so much more. The students are "getting intimately familiar was all aspects of master planning."

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Greater Greater Washington is a complete and utter sham. It is the greedy developers' tool in every development issue confronting this city and is totally unconcerned with the tax base of this city which is middle and upper middle class income taxes. GGW wants a city of entertainment "smart" (aka dumb) growth entertainment "districts" and "affordable" housing. Both of these actually ignore the real tax base of the city and do so at their peril. The people who actually pay the bills here (who don't spend their time blogging in mommy's basement) and go out and work will leave the District for the suburbs where they can enjoy their homes in peace and not be assaulted by some ridiculous development project every few weeks.[/quote]

Unfortunately, we can't promise you anything better in MoCo. Apparently all of the hipsters attended the same "Urban Planning" undergrad programs, and together with the Obama Department of HUD, will bring high density, "affordable housing," overcrowded schools, and bikes and buses replacing traffic lanes to all parts of the area (especially the affluent areas as we share the wealth.) The death spiral of escalating taxes and diminished services has begun here...

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Greater Greater Washington is a complete and utter sham. It is the greedy developers' tool in every development issue confronting this city and is totally unconcerned with the tax base of this city which is middle and upper middle class income taxes. GGW wants a city of entertainment "smart" (aka dumb) growth entertainment "districts" and "affordable" housing. Both of these actually ignore the real tax base of the city and do so at their peril. The people who actually pay the bills here (who don't spend their time blogging in mommy's basement) and go out and work will leave the District for the suburbs where they can enjoy their homes in peace and not be assaulted by some ridiculous development project every few weeks.[/quote]

In reviewing some of the blogs there, it looks like there i a lot of concern about housing affordability and how to create more and different housing options to ensure an economic diversity with in the city. If your complaint is that it is too much of a burden on the middle and upper income tax brackets to achieve this goal, then you have other issues. I think this is a noble cause. I appreciate that you have shared this outlet on this message board. It looks like an interesting daily read.

And I don't think it is true that the suburbs are going to be immune to redevelopment pressures - look at White Flint and Westbard as two relatively close-in Montgomery County examples. We need to be using our land more efficiently and that seems to be what our society is moving towards.

And I am not a developer or hipster.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]
Unfortunately, we can't promise you anything better in MoCo. Apparently all of the hipsters attended the same "Urban Planning" undergrad programs, and together with the Obama Department of HUD, will bring high density, "affordable housing," overcrowded schools, and bikes and buses replacing traffic lanes to all parts of the area (especially the affluent areas as we share the wealth.) The death spiral of escalating taxes and diminished services has begun here...[/quote]



Buses that carry 40+ people at a time as compared to 40 cars carrying 1-2 people each? They should get their own lane.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Unfortunately, we can't promise you anything better in MoCo. Apparently all of the hipsters attended the same "Urban Planning" undergrad programs, and together with the Obama Department of HUD, will bring high density, "affordable housing," overcrowded schools, and bikes and buses replacing traffic lanes to all parts of the area (especially the affluent areas as we share the wealth.) The death spiral of escalating taxes and diminished services has begun here...[/quote]



Buses that carry 40+ people at a time as compared to 40 cars carrying 1-2 people each? They should get their own lane.[/quote]

except that they buses won't actually be carrying 40+ people at a time. They will be mostly empty because they are traveling the exact same route down Wisconsin Ave that the Red Line metro already travels, and faster -- even with its current malaise. (<--- this comment assumes both PPs are talking about the GGW-beloved idea of removing one of the only three lanes of roadway from Wisconsin Ave from the District line to about Montrose, and dedicating that entire lane to buses. If not, my apologies)

Does a bus in theory have more seating capacity than a Honda? Sure.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Greater Greater Washington is a complete and utter sham. It is the greedy developers' tool in every development issue confronting this city and is totally unconcerned with the tax base of this city which is middle and upper middle class income taxes. GGW wants a city of entertainment "smart" (aka dumb) growth entertainment "districts" and "affordable" housing. Both of these actually ignore the real tax base of the city and do so at their peril. The people who actually pay the bills here (who don't spend their time blogging in mommy's basement) and go out and work will leave the District for the suburbs where they can enjoy their homes in peace and not be assaulted by some ridiculous development project every few weeks.[/quote]

In reviewing some of the blogs there, it looks like there i a lot of concern about housing affordability and how to create more and different housing options to ensure an economic diversity with in the city. If your complaint is that it is too much of a burden on the middle and upper income tax brackets to achieve this goal, then you have other issues. I think this is a noble cause. I appreciate that you have shared this outlet on this message board. It looks like an interesting daily read.

And I don't think it is true that the suburbs are going to be immune to redevelopment pressures - look at White Flint and Westbard as two relatively close-in Montgomery County examples. We need to be using our land more efficiently and that seems to be what our society is moving towards.

And I am not a developer or hipster.

[/quote]

Not the person you're responding to, but I'm critical of GGW not because its writers want more affordable housing, but because the policies GGW promotes tend to increase housing prices (e.g. tear down older, cheaper apartments and replace them with newer, smaller, much more expensive apartments). Basically, developers subsidize the site because it advocates policies that further their interests -- not the interests of lower-income tenants or residents.

[Anonymous]

Where are developers tearing down buildings to make new ones? Most of what I have seen over the last 8 years are new construction in vacant land or woefully underutilized land.

Most of the U Street, H Street and Navy Yards developments are with space that was generally vacant or dilapidated warehouses etc.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Unfortunately, we can't promise you anything better in MoCo. Apparently all of the hipsters attended the same "Urban Planning" undergrad programs, and together with the Obama Department of HUD, will bring high density, "affordable housing," overcrowded schools, and bikes and buses replacing traffic lanes to all parts of the area (especially the affluent areas as we share the wealth.) The death spiral of escalating taxes and diminished services has begun here...[/quote]



Buses that carry 40+ people at a time as compared to 40 cars carrying 1-2 people each? They should get their own lane.[/quote]

except that they buses won't actually be carrying 40+ people at a time. They will be mostly empty because they are traveling the exact same route down Wisconsin Ave that the Red Line metro already travels, and faster -- even with its current malaise. (<--- this comment assumes both PPs are talking about the GGW-beloved idea of removing one of the only three lanes of roadway from Wisconsin Ave from the District line to about Montrose, and dedicating that entire lane to buses. If not, my apologies)

Does a bus in theory have more seating capacity than a Honda? Sure. [/quote]

I was referring to 16th/Georgia Avenue where there is a new bus lane coming in. It would be a great way of spurring demand for mass transit to have dedicated bus lanes where the mass transit vehicles would be able to move faster than the car traffic. One on Wisconsin Avenue to downtown would be a great idea. Connecticut Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue would make sense too. Why is that a bad idea? Wisconsin Avenue had a bus lane in the 1970's when I was growing up. It worked well.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Greater Greater Washington is a complete and utter sham. It is the greedy developers' tool in every development issue confronting this city and is totally unconcerned with the tax base of this city which is middle and upper middle class income taxes. GGW wants a city of entertainment "smart" (aka dumb) growth entertainment "districts" and "affordable" housing. Both of these actually ignore the real tax base of the city and do so at their peril. The people who actually pay the bills here (who don't spend their time blogging in mommy's basement) and go out and work will leave the District for the suburbs where they can enjoy their homes in peace and not be assaulted by some ridiculous development project every few weeks.[/quote]

Unfortunately, we can't promise you anything better in MoCo. Apparently all of the hipsters attended the same "Urban Planning" undergrad programs, and together with the Obama Department of HUD, will bring high density, "affordable housing," overcrowded schools, and bikes and buses replacing traffic lanes to all parts of the area (especially the affluent areas as we share the wealth.) The death spiral of escalating taxes and diminished services has begun here...[/quote]


https://www.theurbanist.org/2016/05/26/the-supply-and-demand-of-street-space/