Washington, D.C

Opinion | Gentrification is a problem for cities — especially when it ends

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2024

Opinion | Gentrification is a problem for cities — especially when it ends

For most of my professional career, one consistent societal issue has been gentrification. Even in the depths of the Great Recession, when housing prices were collapsing, gentrification seemed unstoppable. And while there has been a lot to like about the urban renaissance that has occurred as affluent young professionals have poured into urban centers, there has been nothing good about the displacement, the very visible inequalities between old-timers and newcomers, or the racial and ethnic tensions this has exacerbated.

So politicians, policy wonks and pundits have all spent a lot of time agonizing over what to do about gentrification. They have called for reforms to permitting and zoning rules to make it easier for developers to build new housing, or for subsidies to the people being priced out, or both. In hindsight, we spent surprisingly little time worrying about what would happen to cities without gentrification.

Yet here we are in 2024, and I’m much less worried about gentrification than I am about what you might call gentrification whiplash: the uncomfortable conditions that result when a headlong rush into urban real estate suddenly stops, or even goes into reverse.

This now seems like a real possibility in many places, including my own beloved D.C., which is beset with three major issues at once. Demand for office space has cratered thanks to remote work. Demand for residential real estate has shifted outward to the suburbs, as proximity to the office has become less valuable. And crime keeps soaring to new heights; in 2023, homicide hit 20-year highs in D.C., while car theft reached levels not seen since 2007.

If this trend continues, people who have money and options will do what they did in the middle of the 20th century: decamp for places where they don’t have to spend so much time worrying about being robbed or shot.

Yet the response of my local officials has been curiously lackadaisical. Although violence has been a growing problem since 2020, arrests in 2022 were down by almost half from 2019, prosecutions had fallen even further, the D.C. police’s operating budget shrank by almost 13 percent and the number of officers was falling toward its lowest in about 50 years. Only this past fall did Mayor Muriel E. Bowser finally push through a package of reforms aimed at reducing crime.

So let us add a fourth problem to my city’s woes: city officials who have for years been collecting a sort of hidden subsidy from gentrification, which made their jobs easier in many ways — and stands to make the whiplash worse. We are facing the biggest urban crisis in 50 years with politicians who are used to playing on Easy Mode, which is the policy equivalent of driving without a seat belt.

For the past two decades, if you were overseeing a reasonably successful city like Washington, your tax base kept improving no matter what you did, as richer people replaced poorer ones. In 2006, when I moved to D.C., total tax revenue, net of dedicated taxes, was $4.2 billion (about $6.3 billion in today’s dollars). In 2022, the city collected approximately $8.6 billion ($8.8 billion in 2023 dollars). Of course, the population has increased since 2006 — but not by 40 percent.

Meanwhile, the people who were moving in needed less from the government than the people who were being forced out. The newcomers didn’t need subsidized health care or child care, or the city to arrange a tutor for their kid struggling with math. They were also much less likely to suffer from difficulties associated with poverty, including substance abuse and untreated mental illness — or to generate associated problems such as crime and child abuse.

We frequently talk about the government learning to do more with less, but gentrifying cities got to do less with more: It doesn’t take as much money and ingenuity to educate or police the prosperous middle class as it does to provide those services to a marginalized community, so government didn’t have to be nearly as good at many of its jobs. Yet because the population was less needy, it actually looked as if those services were improving rapidly, if you scanned crime statistics or test scores.

Of course, gentrification didn’t actually solve many of those problems; it just displaced them, while tipping some of the most vulnerable onto the streets. But politicians appeared to be solving them, creating an illusion of competence that might have fooled even the politicians themselves.

This went on for so long that people took it for granted, voters and politicians alike. We got progressive mayors, progressive district attorneys and progressive council members who pursued their laudable goals on the assumption that no matter what they did, crime would keep falling and public coffers would keep overflowing.

Now this illusion is punctured. Ever-increasing urban housing demand cannot be taken for granted, nor can any of the benefits that come with it. City officials can no longer count on gentrification to export their problems to another Zip code; they will have to get better at actually solving them.

Washington, D.C

Patchy fog and rain slow the DC morning commute until 9 am Friday

Published

6 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Press Room

Patchy fog and rain slow the DC morning commute until 9 am Friday

WASHINGTON (7News) — If you’re heading out early in Washington, DC, expect patchy fog and rain showers through about 9 a.m., creating reduced visibility during the Friday morning commute.

Why It’s Foggy This Morning:

Overnight rain combined with mild air and light winds is allowing moisture to linger near the ground. That setup is ideal for patchy fog, especially in low-lying areas, near rivers, and along parkways.

What to Expect:

First Alert Weather Fog Tracker

Visibility: Locally reduced, at times under a mile

Rain: Intermittent light rain or drizzle

Timing: Gradual improvement after 8–9 a.m. as clouds lift and winds increase slightly

7News On Your Side:

Slow down and allow extra stopping distance

Use low-beam headlights in fog

Watch for sudden visibility drops on bridges and near water

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

Conditions should improve steadily mid-morning, with fog lifting and rain tapering off. Keep checking local updates if you’re traveling early, and plan a little extra time for the commute.

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Washington, D.C

Tokayev meets Kazakh citizens in Washington, D.C.

Published

1 day ago

February 19, 2026

Press Room

Tokayev meets Kazakh citizens in Washington, D.C.

During the meeting, the Head of State emphasized his high expectations for the younger generation, noting that the government pays special attention to youth development and creating conditions for their self-accomplishment.

Photo credit: Akorda

Tokayev also reminded the meeting participants of the upcoming nationwide referendum in March on the draft of a new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, stressing its historic importance for the country’s future.

Photo credit: Akorda

Students and young researchers expressed gratitude to the President for his comprehensive support of science and education.

Photo credit: Akorda

Earlier, it was reported that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had arrived in Washington, D.C. on a working visit at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump.

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Washington, D.C

Dog poop in NYC: Melting snow leaves behind hidden health hazards

Published

2 days ago

February 18, 2026

Press Room

Dog poop in NYC: Melting snow leaves behind hidden health hazards

article

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As snow from late January storms finally melts across the Northeast, people living in Washington, Philadelphia and New York are confronting what had been buried underneath for weeks: dog poop left behind on sidewalks and streets.

Across neighborhood forums and Reddit threads, residents are posting photos and complaints about sidewalks littered with pet waste that had been buried beneath snow for weeks.

But this isn’t just about aesthetics.

Why it’s more than just a mess

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pet waste is considered an environmental pollutant. When left on the ground, rain or melting snow can wash bacteria and parasites into storm drains and waterways.

Dog feces can contain harmful organisms including E. coli, salmonella and parasites such as roundworms and hookworms. These contaminants can pose risks to humans — especially children — and other animals.

In Washington, D.C., the District Department of Energy and Environment notes that pet waste contributes to water pollution when not properly disposed of, as stormwater systems in many cities flow untreated into rivers.

In other words: once the snow melts, that waste doesn’t just disappear.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 25: A person walks a dog in the snow in Brooklyn as a major winter storm moves through the area on January 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

What residents are saying

In Washington, D.C., neighborhood forums have filled with posts criticizing dog owners for failing to clean up during snowstorms.

Similar complaints have surfaced in Philadelphia, including posts about areas like Manayunk and other high-foot-traffic neighborhoods. New York residents have voiced the same frustrations after recent storms.

Many of the posts echo the same question: “Did people assume the snow would simply take care of it?”

Who is responsible?

In all three cities, pet owners are legally required to clean up after their animals.

Municipal sanitation departments are generally responsible for street cleaning, but they are not tasked with individually removing pet waste left on sidewalks. Enforcement typically falls to animal control or local authorities when violations are reported.

In short: the responsibility falls on dog owners — not the city.

TORONTO, ON – January 15 – A small dog searches for a thrown stick in the snow. (Lance McMillan/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Why does this happen after snowstorms?

Experts say snow creates a behavioral loophole.

During heavy snowfall, some pet owners may assume waste will remain buried or that cleanup can wait. Others may struggle to locate waste under deep snow or icy conditions.

But when temperatures rise — like they have in mid-February — the result can be weeks’ worth of accumulated waste suddenly visible at once.

The freeze-thaw cycle also prevents natural decomposition, meaning what was left behind in early February may look nearly unchanged once the snow melts.

The health and environmental impact

Beyond being unpleasant, concentrated pet waste can:

Contaminate runoff that enters rivers and streams
Contribute to bacteria levels that affect water quality
Create unsanitary walking conditions in dense urban areas

Environmental agencies consistently warn that pet waste should be bagged and disposed of in trash bins — not left on sidewalks, in parks or near storm drains.

What you can do:

Experts recommend:

Always carrying extra waste bags during winter walks
Fully removing waste, even in snow or icy conditions
Disposing of bagged waste in trash receptacles — not storm drains
Reporting chronic problem areas to local sanitation or animal control
As winter loosens its grip across the Northeast, cities are once again confronting a familiar seasonal issue.

The snow may be gone, but the responsibility isn’t.

The Source: This article was written using environmental guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, municipal regulations in Philadelphia and New York City, and community discussions from residents in affected neighborhoods.

Washington, D.C.

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