Highlights

Discover the latest insights and solutions for making Greater DC a place of opportunity for all.

Commonly cited walkability metrics like Walk Score usually reduce walkability to one attribute: proximity to key destinations like schools, transit, work, and retail. Although these metrics are important for identifying mechanisms to improve quality of life and pointing out inequities in access for people of different backgrounds, none provides a holistic examination of walking, which covers not just where you are going but also if your neighborhood is safe, equitable, and enjoyable to walk through.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to exacerbate racial and socioeconomic inequities in the DC area and nationwide, members of the Urban–Greater DC team convened with neighbors and residents of the greater DC region to reflect on lessons learned from the pandemic and the national movement for racial justice sweeping our country and our region.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented economic downturn that erased millions of jobs and put many families at risk of eviction and homelessness. Though the eviction moratorium has prevented countless evictions, the pandemic has highlighted how many families are one financial shock away from falling behind on rent and becoming homeless, whether from loss of employment or an unexpected hospital visit.