Canaan Merchant
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Past articles by Canaan:
Which Herndon mayoral and town council candidates will champion urbanist issues?
Herndon, Virginia is holding elections this fall. Two candidates are running for mayor and 10 candidates are running for all of the 8 seats on the town council. The race is officially nonpartisan and most of the issues in town are focused on local events and changes. → Read More
More lanes on I-95 won’t fix Virginia’s traffic woes, VDOT says
If you want to ease congestion and improve travel times on Interstate 95, widening the roads won’t do the trick. → Read More
Innovation Center Metro won’t get a corporate name (for now), but a lot is already happening there.
The last new Metro station in Fairfax County before Dulles Airport will be Innovation Center, a somewhat bland name which Metro briefly tried to sell to an unnamed “Fortune 500 Company.” It had to pull back in the face of opposition from Fairfax County officials, but in the meantime, the area is bustling with change. I took a look around. → Read More
Will Reston have communities and parks at its Metro stations, or parking lots?
In Reston, fights over how the area should grow are on to a new round, this time over some parking lots just outside of a Metro station. A development proposed for an area near the Silver Line would include new office space, retail storefronts, and apartments, but one local group is not pleased. → Read More
More cars on I-95, or something else? Take Virginia’s survey to ID changes.
In the past, the Virginia Department of Transportation has sometimes been a hindrance to safer streets or transit improvements in the region. A focus on moving cars over people has led to projects that emphasized wide roads over alternative solutions, but that may be starting to change with the I-95 project. → Read More
Beach town urbanism: There’s big density in small spaces in Cape May
Last year my family and I decided to visit Cape May, New Jersey for the first time after a lifetime of mostly sticking to beaches closer to DC. We liked it so much we went back again this year. One reason we returned is because the area is laid out a bit differently than most beach towns. Cape May offers a great example of a walkable and historic place. → Read More
Video: Supermarkets can teach us about road design
Streetsblog posted this video from Norway which shows an aggressive driver using his techniques in the supermarket with his cart. → Read More
A tiff over a halal butcher shop highlights how zoning laws can be used to discriminate
Alexandria just approved a proposal for a Halal butcher shop in an industrial part of the city. Normally, an industrial business opening in an industrial zone isn't news, but this particular shop sparked an outcry. Nearby business owners and other residents fretted over parking, smells, and more. → Read More
Now you can bring your bicycle on Metro during rush hour
Starting Monday, you can take your bicycle onto a Metro train anytime, the agency announced on January 2. Before, bikes were banned during rush hour period out of concern that trains would be too crowded during those times. → Read More
Despite protests, Reston is moving ahead with allowing more residents
Despite some strong backlash, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is moving ahead with its original proposal to rewrite part of its zoning code to allow for more growth in Reston. Increases to certain density caps suddenly became a contentious issue last year, even though they were just technical changes to fit with the updated Reston Master Plan. → Read More
Reston has two golf courses. Why not use that space for parks and homes?
Reston is home to not one, but two privately-owned golf courses. Both own property close to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro stop, making the sites lucrative spots for redevelopment. However, some residents have already organized against any changes. → Read More
As Reston grows, neighbors want more control to say no
Reston's neighborhood association is asking Fairfax County to give it more control over future growth, as residents try to figure out how to absorb new neighbors without losing community ties. In an area that prides itself on being inclusive, a contentious planning process has revealed some big tensions over increasing density. → Read More
No vacancy: some Northern Virginia communities are deciding they’re full
Northern Virginia held local elections this week, and population growth was foremost on the mind of many of those running. Some candidates even pondered whether or not there should be a population limit in various parts in the region. → Read More
A reset in Reston? Fairfax Zoning says “no thanks,” we’re going to allow new homes
Fairfax County zoning officials say they will not back off from commitments they’ve already made, despite pressure to allow fewer new homes in Reston. Officials recently responded to two groups that want to change or reverse zoning updates that would allow more density — changes that would mean going back on plans and compromises already made, some as recently as 2015. → Read More
Fairfax could get new bike lanes and road diets this summer. Not everyone is happy.
Fairfax County plans to add bike lanes or sharrows (shared lane markings) to 44 streets this summer. The “road diet” and improved bicycle infrastructure could help reduce collisions and improve safety, but not everyone is on board. → Read More
DC needs to pick up the pace if it wants more people on bikes and buses
DC wants more people on buses and bicycles, but it needs to pick up the pace on its projects to get there. The city must streamline current processes and remove obstacles to creating a comprehensive transit and bike lane network. → Read More
The new Nice Bridge may not be nice for pedestrians and cyclists
Maryland has been working to replace the Harry W. Nice Bridge for a long time, and now we are seeing some of the latest proposals. If a bike and pedestrian path is not included in the final design, cyclists would have to use the vehicle lane while pedestrians would be stuck on shore. → Read More
Alexandria has too much parking, and it’s having a deterimental effect on the city
Alexandria has far more parking than is actually being used, a recent task force study found. Now the city is considering what they should do with all of that wasted space. → Read More
Reston enters the Upside Down when it comes to zoning
Many Reston residents are upset about zoning changes, but County officials say they are simply enacting necessary changes to comply with the city’s already agreed-upon master plan. → Read More
Will apartments on top of grocery stores overwhelm Reston?
Keeping zoning limits low won't stop the job and family growth that brings people Reston. Letting people live where they can walk, bike, or take transit to their jobs or errands–rather than force them to drive for every trip–is a far better method to accommodate that growth. → Read More