Carryout and COVID: should the Fish Wharf continue normal operations?
Amidst all the restaurant restrictions, it seems those that focus on carryout have fared the best. But DC's Fish Wharf must enforce social distancing.| American Dirt.
Many, many moons ago, during the breezy period right out of schooling when I lived in Southern Louisiana, I had to evacuate from a hurricane or two. (“Breezy” takes on a new meaning.) Though I was indeed a New Orleans resident during the most ill-fated of hurricanes in anyone’s recent memory—Katrina—I coincidentally was out of ...Read more... The post Contraflow: a forced one-way street can promote safety or confusion. Context is key. appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
It’s been less than a year since my article on the The Block, a small food hall in Annandale, Virginia (part of the affluent Fairfax County suburbs of Washington DC) generated a fair amount of buzz—at least by my blog’s modest standards. At that time I pointed out that The Block had bucked the trends ...Read more... The post The Block closed: another once-lucrative food hall clears the way for a higher use. appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
Looking down on the University of Montana campus from midway up Mount Sentinel, it’s easy to let the enormity of the view dwarf the growing city of Missoula below. With the lumber industry having receded over thirty years ago, Montana’s second largest city owes most of its identity to the flagship university. It’s a quintessential ...Read more... The post Misattributed quotation on a campus carving: did the correction only complicate it? appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
Just a little over a mile from downtown Boise and a whole lot less than a mile from the city’s flagship public university campus, a micro-subdivision sits wedged between two busy arterial roads. It’s barely noticeable, and I would have driven right past it if it weren’t for the unusual aesthetic: something between tiny homes ...Read more... The post Tiny manufactureds in Boise: trailers or tiny homes? Both? Neither? appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
It’s hard to find an old single-screen move theater that’s thriving, even in affluent urban areas. When it comes to those walkable, revitalizing main street districts—where people collectively demonstrate their affection for old architecture by refurbishing and repurposing old buildings for niche businesses—the vintage movie theaters from the Golden Age of Cinema should ride the ...Read more... The post Rural single-screen: how does the Clayton Theatre in Dagsboro, Delaware survive ...| American Dirt.
Amidst all the restaurant restrictions, it seems those that focus on carryout have fared the best. But DC's Fish Wharf must enforce social distancing.| American Dirt.
A mountain town’s trash can might be tall enough. But is it bear-proof? | American Dirt.
Crossing the Occoquan River from Prince William County to southern Fairfax County in Northern Virginia doesn’t yield a lot of surprises. Regardless of the county, it’s all suburbia, albeit a lot less dense and urbanized than Arlington County or other parts of Fairfax that are closer to Alexandria and, of course, Washington DC. But, while ...Read more... The post White-on-blue directional signs: they might be everywhere, but are they a gold standard? appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
For being a licensed city planner, I’ve avoided using one particular term in this blog common within my profession’s jargon: urban sprawl. Applying the search tool, it has only appeared as content within 72 articles—pretty rare considering that at this point in September 2025, I have produced 956 blog posts. Keep in mind, many of ...Read more... The post Campus creep: when a large, rooted institution needs to grow…there goes the neighborhood. appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
This is a slight subject—or, rather, two subjects—which I am somewhat forcibly conflating. But it’s not an unfamiliar topic for this blog, and I keep coming back to it because it’s so rich with semantic potential: specifically, it’s the organization and branding of public restrooms. The only major reason this cluster of photos gets bunched ...Read more... The post Williamsburg restrooms: how the colonists did—and still do—their business. appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
“Calm on the surface, paddling furiously underneath.” Back in 2009, when I wrote my first article on wildlife tunnels in an outer suburb of Boston, I figured this might be the first of many features about animal accommodations—slight modifications to the infrastructure that better integrate the human-built environment with the natural world so that animals ...Read more... The post Animal accommodations: in the Reflecting Pool, everything is (fiscally) ducky. appeared first on American...| American Dirt.
I had visited this little shopping center just south of Alexandria, Virginia more than a few times before I ever noticed this bizarre little sign about flying projectiles. It didn’t occur to me during any previous visit, since I normally sat indoors to avoid the scorching summer sun, but apparently some people opt to eat ...Read more... The post Flying projectiles and French pastries: not exactly a familiar pairing! appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
A growing cultural acceptance for indoor dogs has thrust them into every kind of a business. And they don't have to be service animals.| American Dirt.
Unlike guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs receive no legal protections, yet we routinely see owners bring them to private businesses.| American Dirt.
