Highlights

In Maryland, several school districts have recently begun talking about redistricting—that is, redrawing boundaries to reduce overcrowding in schools and enhance racial and economic integration. Much of the coverage has focused, rightfully so, on the current demographics of schools in Howard and Montgomery Counties.

But the historical context can be informative, too, and with today's launch of version 1.0 of our Education Data Explorer, it’s easier than ever to find.

For too many DC-area families, rents and house prices are climbing out of reach. Some neighborhoods that have long been home to people with low and moderate incomes face especially steep housing cost increases and displacement. And many residents fear that, with the arrival of new businesses, jobs, and workers, these pressures will intensify and our region could become the next San Francisco or Seattle. 

Last November, we launched an online tool that explores DC’s equity gaps across a range of indicators such as educational attainment, prenatal care, and homeownership. Because of a lack of data, home access to broadband internet—which allows DC’s residents to access our tool and any other online resource—was left unexplored.

The financial health of a city is closely tied to that of its residents. The Urban Institute’s research shows that when residents have very little savings and are financially insecure, cities spend millions of dollars in services to support their needs.

Last month, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced plans to partner with federal prosecutors to shift prosecution for certain “felon-in-possession” firearm offenses out of the local DC court system and into the federal justice system.

The vision for DC’s 11th Street Bridge Park is to connect some of the District’s lowest- and highest-income neighborhoods in a way that benefits everyone. But that’s a tricky value proposition. As developers and urban planners well know, when people of means embrace the neighborhoods they once ignored or avoided, the results can be devastating for those who already live there.  

In an earlier analysis of Washington, DC’s Capital Bikeshare program, we found that bikeshare stations tend to be concentrated in whiter and more affluent neighborhoods, and placement and use generally follow the distribution of the city’s existing transportation infrastructure. Building on that analysis, we investigated whether bikesharing in DC results in a greater connection between economically and racially diverse neighborhoods.

The DC Housing Authority (DCHA) is under fire from the city council and advocates concerned about deteriorating conditions and what they view as the threat of privatization. The city council is considering two bills to address the problem that the sponsors say would provide more oversight, promote transparency, and prevent privatization.  

Bikesharing has gained popularity in US cities as concerns about health, congestion, and climate change have increased. In 2010, the DC Department of Transportation introduced the first city-operated bikesharing system in North America. Since then, Capital Bikeshare users have generated millions of rides, but use and station placement varies around the city.