One reason to eliminate the height limit (except that it's too late to make a difference)

Old Post Office building. Photos by Ambivalent Images. A plan to demolish this building sparked the development of the historic preservation movement in DC that culminated in the creation of what is now the DC Preservation League.

...the inexorable pressure to tear down everything and rebuild a bit bigger to what is currently allowed. Because unlike most center cities, the Washington real estate market is very strong because the federal government keeps getting bigger.

And because the scale of commercial buildings in the city is so small, there is a kind of manifest destiny at work here, as the Central Business District keeps expanding east and southeast.

Old Downtown barely exists anymore.

I just read a story about farmers markets that makes the point that children who are involved in the purchasing decision and pick fruit and vegetables as part of their shopping experience are more likely to eat healthier food.

It made me think that if people don't ever see any old buildings or walkable places that they won't likely revere or choose to preserve such places.

The Florida Market area is one of the only areas left in or around the core of the city that is not a bunch of air conditioned glass box office buildings suitable to lease to law and lobbyist firms.

(See "High-Level Debate On Future of D.C." and "A Tall Order for the D.C. Office Market" from the Post.)

K Street NW