In My Backyard DC

04/29/2014

The next time a local politician claims to support District autonomy, don’t forget to laugh.

The House of Representatives voted to change the The Height of Buildings Act of 1910 earlier this week.

04/04/2014

WMATA is trying to replace a surface parking lot with an apartment building--and there's a NIMBY storm a'brewin'.

lWMATA might finally be able to build something on its extremely valuable land surrounding the Takoma Metro Station after fourteen years of effort.

03/17/2014

Depending on where a project is located, and what the building will be used for, local regulations require developers to build a certain number of parking spots for every unit in a building. This is bad news for affordable housing advocates for several reasons.

Imagine a world in which every apartment is required by law to include accommodation for around-the-clock butler services.

03/10/2014

After a decade of construction, new residents, and change, the total population in Columbia Heights only increased by 1,087 people.

As more people from around the world choose to make Washington their home, we’re faced with a clear choice. We can accommodate new residents by allowing for greater density through relaxed land-use rules, or we can expect more people to get priced out.

02/25/2014

Dupont Circle bars shouldn't be limited to 60 decibels.

Unreasonable noise regulations and NIMBYismFebruary 25, 2014 by MichaelThere’s a new citizens’ group in town, the DC Nightlife Noise Coalition. Though the name sounds more like a local dubstep group, it’s actually devoted to quieting down 1998′s hottest clubbing destination, Dupont Circle. Though th...

12/28/2013

What is an Ubertarian?

Over at Housing Complex, Aaron Wiener pokes fun at what he calls “Ubertarians.”These are people who “support government regulation—except when it inconveniences them,” ”love public transit, especially the not-so-public kind,” “hate meddlesome ne...

11/19/2013

We just launched a new website! Check it out: www.inmybackyarddc.com

11/06/2013

We're already giving millions of dollars to wealthy team owners. Let's not do it again.

Spending large amounts of public money on a stadium to create economic growth is more becoming of a dying city like Detroit, and doesn't make sense for Washington.

10/29/2013

Removing the federally-imposed height limit won't actually allow taller buildings. It would just allow us to decide on our own.

Congress may consider revising the longstanding Heights of Buildings Act of 1910, as I noted earlier: The National Capital Planning Commission and the DC Office of Planning have been working on a t...

10/02/2013

We did it, everyone. The moratorium was rejected because of how many of you stood up to the small band of NIMBYs.

The district's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board unanimously denied a moratorium on new liquor licenses in the city's 14th and U Street corridor Thursday.

09/27/2013

Alexandria S*x Shop Revenge for Zoning Controls

08/27/2013

We should just talk Baltimore into hosting the Olympics.