Media Coverage

A compilation of writings and thought pieces reflecting the variety of opinions on the issue of building heights in Washington, DC. The collection does not reflect the opinion and policy perspectives of the National Capital Planning Commission and/or the District of Columbia.

We need old buildings to make great cities, but we need new ones too
By Ben Adler
Grist (May 19, 2014)

Small Change To Height Act Signed Into Law
By Elliott Francis
WAMU (May 19, 2014)

With Obama's Signature, Height Act Change Becomes Law
By Bridget Bowman
Roll Call (May 16, 2014)

Everyone likes the status quo
By Matthew Yglesias
Slate (January 16, 2014)

Obama signs minor change to DC building height law
By Associated Press
(May 16, 2014)

Most District residents oppose Height changes
By Benjamin Freed
Washingtonian (January 16, 2014)

What the Height Act poll didn’t ask
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (January 16, 2014)

Poll: Height Act changes opposed by majority
By Mike DeBonis and Scott Clement
Washington Post (January 16, 2014)

DC population boom continued
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (December 30, 2013)

What would taller buildings mean
By Neil Flanagan
Greater Greater Washington (December 23, 2013)

Short, ‘Dowdy’ DC considers high heels
By Liz Halloran
NPR (December 20, 2013)

We need more housing. Lots more housing.
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (December 19, 2013)

Is tall all there is?
By Tim Halbur
Planetizen (December 16, 2013)

DC Council opposes height changes
CBS Morning News (December 17, 2013)

Washington's horizontal woes
By Todd S. Purdum
Politico (December 16, 2013)

Don’t count on taller buildings for cheaper housing
By Roger K. Lewis
Washignton Post (December 15, 2013)

Why the Height Act is not so cut and dry
By Mary Fitch
Washington Business Journal (December 13, 2013)

District Trying to Hash out Differences on Height
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (December 12, 2013)

Lack of building up keeps cities down
By Alissa Walker
Gizmodo (December 11, 2013)

How Washington would look w/ skyscrapers
FastCoDesign (December 10, 2013)

Ask Congress to give DC self-rule on heights
By David Alpert
Greater Greater Washington (December 6, 2013)

Penthouse change not as visible as it seems
By Christopher H. Collins
Washington Business Journal (December 6, 2013)

Norton urges Gray and Mendelson to talk
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (December 5, 2013)

Norton: Gray and Mendelson must talk height
By Sarah Anne Hughes
DCist (December 5, 2013)

The Height Act: An apology and a clarification
By Ryan Cooper
Washington Monthly (December 5, 2013)

Congress hears debate over building heights
By Elizabeth Wiener
The Northwest Current (December 4, 2013)

Rosslyn skyline
By Marie Maxwell
National Archives blog (December 4, 2013)

Who Are the Height Act Supporters?
By Ryan Cooper
Washington Monthly (December 3, 2013)

Agreement in DC a tall order
By Meredith Somers
The Washington Times (December 3, 2013)

DC Height Requirements Under Scrutiny
By Marissa Higdon
Talk Radio News Service (December 3, 2013)

Height Act Hearing Reveals Fissures in DC
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (December 3, 2013)

Old Washington Rules Meet Push for Change
By Andrew Siddons
The New York Times (December 3, 2013)

Would taller buildings ruin the DC skyline?
By Richard Simon
LA TImes (December 2, 2013)

Hearing gives some life to height changes
By Benjamin Freed
Washingtonian (December 2, 2013)

Issa Shames DC at Height Act hearing
By Sarah Anne Hughes
DCist (December 2, 2013)

To be continued: Congress and Height Act
By Editors
Urban Turf DC (December 2, 2013)

More discussion needed on DC Height Act
Daniel J. Sernovitz
Washington Business Journal (December 2, 2013)

Issa open to changes to DC building heights
By Ben Nuckols, Associated Press
Washington Post, (December 2, 2013)

Issa offers hope for DC autonomy on heights
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (December 2, 2013)

Agencies considered taller K Street
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (December 2, 2013)

DC height restrictions congressional hearing
By Associated Press
WJLA (December 2, 2013)

Congress Hears Testimony on Heights
By Associated Press
NBC 4 Washington (December 2, 2013)

VIDEO: 150 years of the U.S. Capitol Dome
By Scott Pelley
60 Minutes, CBS News (December 1, 2013)

Letters: Views are a 'national interest’
By Ernest E. Johnson, Washington
Washington Post (November 29, 2013)

A small future for tall buildings in DC
By David Brussat
Providence Post (November 28, 2013)

DC's Building heights head to Congress
By Patrick Madden
WAMU 88.5 FM (November 28, 2013)

Home Rule to dominate height hearing
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (November 27, 2013)

Building-heights hearing set
By Mike DeBonis
Washington Post (November 27, 2013)

Height Act arguments go to Congress
By Benjamin Freed
Washingtonian (November 26, 2013)

Phony height reform is dead!
By Matthew Yglesias
Slate (November 22, 2013)

Is the prospect of a taller DC really dead?
By Shilpi Paul
Urban Turf DC (November 22, 2013)

Talk of raising Height Act was premature
By Daniel J. Sernovitz
Washington Business Journal (November 21, 2013)

Mayor asks for buildings to be built higher
By Ryley Trahan
Washington Times (November 21, 2013)

Issa Predicts Nuanced Position on Height Act
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (November 21, 2013)

DC Asks Congress For Some Height Act Control
By Sarah Anne Hughes
DCist (November 21, 2013)

DC to Congress: Give Us Control Over Height
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 21, 2013)

DC height restrictions to be maintained
By Associated Press
Associated Press (November 21, 2013)

Never Grow Up; No Changes to the Height Act
By Valerie Paschall
Curbed DC (November 21, 2013)

U.S. panel rejects changes to DC skyline
By Ian Simpson
Reuters (November 21, 2013)

Federal Commission: Leave Heights Unchanged
By Benjamin Freed
Washingtonian (November 21, 2013)

Federal panel resists height change
By Elizabeth Wiener
NW Current (November 20, 2013)

Mayor Gray: 'People don't like change'
By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal (November 20, 2013)

Commission votes against recommendation
By Associated Press
Washington Post (November 20, 2013)

Tall buildings are toast
By Mike Debonis
Washington Post (November 20, 2013)

Height changes are rejected by commission
By Mike Debonis
Washington Post (November 20, 2013)

NCPC to Send Watered-Down Recommendation
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 20, 2013)

Barry Only Member Who Supports Changes
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 20, 2013)

D.C. Council Has Lost Its Mind on Height Act
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 20, 2013)

Majority are Against Changing Height Act
By Sarah Anne Hughes
DCIst (November 20, 2013)

NCPC: No Major Height Act Changes
By Urban Turf Staff
Urban Turf (November 20, 2013)

Final decision: Leave the Height Act alone
By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal (November 20, 2013)

Panel Opts To Keep D.C. Height Act Intact
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU (November 20, 2013)

D.C. Council Not Down With Plan
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU (November 20, 2013)

Heights could rise in some places
By Mike DeBonis
Washington Post (November 19, 2013)

The door opens a crack for taller buildings
By David Alpert
Greater Greater Washington (November 19, 2013)

Might There Be a Compromise?
By Valerie Paschall
Curbed DC (November 19, 2013)

Height restrictions should be eased away
By Associated Press
WJLA (November 19, 2013)

We're Close to a Height Act Compromise
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 19, 2013)

Executive Director's Recommendation
By Prince Of Petworth
Popville (November 19, 2013)

A case to change the city skyline
By Pooya Hajibagheri
GW Hatchet (November 19, 2013)

Proposal Would Keep Building Caps
By Benjamin Freed
Washingtonian (November 19, 2013)

Some DC Buildings Could Be Taller
By CBS Staff
CBS DC (November 18, 2013)

Commission Opens Door to Taller D.C.
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (November 19, 2013)

We're Close to a Height Act Compromise
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 18, 2013)

An opening for taller buildings in DC
By David Alpert
Greater Greater Washington (November 18, 2013)

Might There Be A Compromise on Heights?
By Valerie Paschall
DC Curbed (November 18, 2013)

Feds: Heights Should Remain Downtown
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU 88.5 FM (November 18, 2013)

NCPC Gives a Little in Height Fight
By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal (November 18, 2013)

NCPC Open to Taller Buildings
By UrbanTurf Staff
Urban Turf (November 18, 2013)

NCPC: Taller Buildings w/ Congress' Review
By Sarah Anne Hughes
DCist (November 18, 2013)

Report is Cynical, Illogical, & Self-Serving
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 18, 2013)

Taller Buildings Are Fine, If the Feds Sign Off
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (November 17, 2013)

Would Repealing D.C.’s Height Limit Help Republicans Win Back Virginia?
By Marc Tracy
New Republic (November 14, 2013)

Charge of the Height Brigade
By Aaron Wiener
Washingotn City Paper (November 6, 2013)

Critics note Paris, but building it wasn't pretty
By Payton Chung
West North (November 5, 2013)

Council Examines Building Heights
By Griffin Cohen
The Hoya (November 5, 2013)

Scramble for Consensus on Height Act
Hannah Hess
Roll Call (November 4, 2013)

Topic of the Week: DC’s Height Limit
Steven Yates
Greater Greater Washington (November 4, 2013)

DC Architects Support Changes to Heights
By Aaron Wiener
Housing Complex (November 1, 2013)

9 Suggestions to Change the Height Limit
By Dan Malouff
Greater Greater Washington (October 30, 2013)

Council Enters Fray on Raising Height Limit
The Northwest Current (October 30, 2013)

Downtown: Built Up, but Not Built Out
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (October 30, 2013)

DC’s Odd Relegations and Laws
By Valerie Paschall
CurbedDC (October 29, 2013)

At Hearing, People Don’t Like Changes
By Matt Cohen
dcist (October 29, 2013)

Main Arguments against Changing Height Act
By Aaron Wiener
Housing Complex (October 29, 2013)

Two Misconceptions about DC Land-Use Regs
By Michael Hamilton
In My Backyard (October 29, 2013)

Height Hearing Reveals Opposition
By Shlipi Paul
UrbanTurf DC (October 29, 2013)

Grow High or Low: City Must Change
By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal (October 28, 2013)

Height Act Changes Get Slammed
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (October 28, 2013)

Height Act Supporters Rip Plan for Tall
By Benjamin Freed
Washingtonian (October 28, 2013)

Residents Look Down on Height Proposals
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU 88.5 FM (October 28, 2013)

Should the Height Act be Amended?
By Valerie Paschall
CurbedDC (October 28, 2013)

Commentary: Support City's Height Limit!
By Janet Quigley
The Hill Rag (October 25, 2013)

Commentary: The Case for More Height in DC
By Shalom Baranes
Capital Buisness (September 30, 2013)

Please, Congress, Don’t Alter the Heights
By Nancy MacWood, Committee of 100
Washington Business Journal (October 11, 2013)

Height of Insanity
By Rebecca Miller, DC Preservation League
Washington Business Journal (October 4, 2013)

How Washington Went Topless
By Ryan Avent
Washington (September 29, 2013)

The Big Building Height Question
By Editors
BisNow (September 27, 2013)

District and NCPC Can't Agree
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (September 26, 2013)

DC Wants Buildings To Be Able To Grow
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU 88.5 FM (September 26, 2013)

DC Proposes Increasing Building Height
By Mike DeBonis
Washington Post (September 26, 2013)

New DC and Federal Studies Disagree
By Douglas Cantor
Examiner.com (September 25, 2013)

OP vs. NCPC: Revising Height Act
By Valerie Paschall
Curbed DC (September 25, 2013)

Press Release Reposted (comments)
By Editor
Prince of Petworth (September 25, 2013)

DC Planners Want Height That's Targeted
By Dan Malouff
Greater Greater Washington (September 25, 2013)

Tall Beyond the Core
By Shilpi Paul
UrbanTurf DC (September 25, 2013)

DC Wants Major Changes to Height Act
By Benjamin Freed
Washingtonian (September 25, 2013)

DC Recommends Major Changes to Height
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (September 24, 2013)

DC Proposes Major Changes to Height Act
By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal (September 24, 2013)

Skyscrapers Belong Where There's Demand
By Matthew Yglesias
Slate Magazine (September 24, 2013)

The Needle: Sky's The Limit
By Perry Stein
Washington City Paper (September 24, 2013)

Washington Skyline Slowly Changing
By Alicia Lozano
WTOP (September 20, 2013)

We Urge Rejection to Relax Height Act
By Editor
The Intowner (September 15, 2013)

DC’s Height Limits: The Risk of Ending Them
By Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Magazine (September 15, 2013)

How DC Could Look if Height Limits Change
By Emily Chow and Gene Thorp
Washington Post (September 15, 2013)

Want to Shrink Government? Let DC Grow
By Lydia DePillis
Washington Post (September 15, 2013)

The Needle: Paper Moon
By Perry Stein
City Paper (September 13, 2013)

DC with chaged height limits
By News Desk
PBS Newshour (September 13, 2013)

Federal Planners: DC Is Just the Right Height
By Nancy Scola
Next City (September 13, 2013)

Tension Might Define Height Act Debate
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (September 13, 2013)

NCPC's Role Is to Define Federal Interest
Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (September 13, 2013)

Planners Release Height Sstudy Findings
By Victoria St. Martin
The Washington Post (September 13, 2013)

Planners Release Height Act Findings
By Victoria St. Martin
Washington Post (September 12, 2013)

Raising the Roof?
By Mark Segraves
NBC News 4 (September 12, 2013)

Building Heights to be Discussed
By Editor
ABC News 7, WJLATV (September 12, 2013)

NCPC Releases Draft Recommendations
By Shilpi Paul
UrbanTurf DC (September 12, 2013)

NCPC's Lame Timidity on the Height Act
By Matt Yglesias
Slate (September 12, 2012)

NCPC likely recommending tweaks to height
By Dan Malouff
Greater Greater Washington (September 11, 2013)

Federal Panel Proposes Leaving Act Intact
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU 88.5 FM (September 11, 2013)

Height Recommendations Not a Done Deal
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (September 11, 2013)

Five Ways NCPC Is Wrong About Height Act
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (September 11, 2013)

No Federal Benefit to Altering DC Height Act
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (September 11, 2013)

Few changes for Heights, panel recommends
By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal (September 11, 2013)

NCPC: Mild consideration to Height change
By Michael Hamilton
ElevationDC (August 13, 2013)

DC with taller buildings?
By Lauren Williams
In My Backyard DC (August 14, 2013)

Skyscrapers for DC?
By Steven Nelson
US News and World Report (August 12, 2013)

Height Meetings Expose Growth Concern
By Hannah Hess
Roll Call (August 12, 2013)

Building Height Study Nears Completion (AUDIO)
By George Mesthos
CBS DC, WNEW 99.1 FM (August 10, 2013)

Options to Amend Height Act
By Anthony L. Harvey
The Intowner (August 10, 2013)

Study Looks at Impacts from Easing Heights
By Elizabeth Wiener
The Northwest Current (August 7, 2013)

DC contemplates ending height limits
By Ryan Greene
Vox Populi (August 6, 2013)

Should DC be More Like NYC?
By Shaun Courtney
Fairfax City Patch (August 4, 2013)

This is how DC would look w/ taller buildings
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (August 2, 2013)

CityCenter wraps-up & DC revisits height
By Laura Fisher Kaiser
Architectural Record (July 31, 2013)

Raise height limit? That’s a bigger question
By David Alpert
Washington Post (July 29, 2013)

Height Master Plan Visual Modeling Released
By Christopher Brown
Architecture DC Blog (July 25, 2013)

Study Makes Case for Increased DC Heights
By Jonathan Nettler
Planetizen (July 25, 2013)

Balancing Local & Federal Interests in Heights
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU 88.5 FM (July 25, 2013)

DC Height Restriction Limits, Public Meeting
By Associated Press
ABC 7 Washington (July 24, 2013)

Public Meetings Set on DC Height Limits (VIDEO)
By Tom Sherwood
NBC News 4 Washington (July 24, 2013)

Raising height limit would end the world
By Lydia DePillis
Washington Post (July 24, 2013)

DC With Tall Buildings?
By Shilpi Paul
UrbanTurf DC (July 24, 2013)

Imagining D.C. Under a Modified Height Act
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (July 24, 2013)

NCPC Holds Hearings On Relaxing Height Limits
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU 88.5 FM (July 23, 2013)

2nd Round of Public Meetings for Height Act
by Greg Bianco
Washington Business Journal (July 22, 2013)

Changes to DC Height Limit? (AUDIO)
By Kevin Rincon
CBS DC, WNEW 99.1 FM (July 19, 2012)

DC Skyline Should Look Like Manhattan
By John-David Nako
PolicyMic (June 7, 2013)

DC‘s big problem with short buildings
By Sam Seifman
Next City (May 22, 2013)

Project reflects Paris' ambitions
By Peter Sigal
New York Times (May 21, 2013)

Let's get high
By Bill Bradley
Next City (May 20, 2013)

Changes coming to DC's heights?
By Thomas Warren
WTOP (May 18, 2013)

Agencies get public input on building height
By Douglas Canter
D.C. Green Business Examiner (May 18, 2013)

Rile up a crowd (in DC): Talk building heights
By Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (May 14, 2013)

Study: Whether to let buildings grow tall (AUDIO)
By Martin Austermuhle
WAMU 88.5 FM (May 14, 2013)

Don't disturb the skyline: public responds
By Shilpi Paul
UrbanTurf DC (May 14, 2013)

The public opinion on DC's Height Act
By Shilpi Paul
UrbanTurf DC (May 13, 2013)

What your skyline says about your city
By Thomas J. Sigler
The Atlantic Cities (May 1, 2013)

Should washington grow up?
By Ian Simpson
Reuters (April 30, 2013)

A modern city in east Midtown?
(Discusses density and height issues in NYC)
By Robert A. M. Stern
The New York Times (April 21, 2013)

Can urbanists learn to love DC's height limit?
by Jordan Fraade
Elevation DC (April 2, 2013)

Are tall buildings bad For Downtown?
by Michael Lewyn
Planetizen (March 17, 2013)

Keep the lid on DC: Build better, not bigger
by Edward T. McMahon
Urban Land (March 15, 2013)

DC looks to Europe as it rethinks height
by Nancy Scola
Next City (March 14, 2013)

Interview w/ NCPC Chairman Bryant (AUDIO)
Federal News Radio (March 12, 2013)

Learning from European building heights?
by Aaron Wiener
Washington City Paper (March 6, 2013)

Study to allow taller buildings in DC? (VIDEO)
by Tom Sherwood
NBC News 4 Washington (March 5, 2013)

The Pros & Cons of Revoking Height Act
By Irina Vinnitskaya
ArchDaily (December 13, 2012)

A monumental burden
by R.A.
The Economist (November 12, 2012)

The urbanist case for keeping DC's height
by Kaid Benfield
The Atlantic Cities (November 19, 2012)

The math on the cost of the DC height limit
by Matt Yglesias
Slate (November 12, 2012)

Energy and D.C.'s height restrictions
by Shalom Baranes
Urban Land (October 28, 2010)

The Limits of DC - Improving the Height Act
by Ken DCMud (June 9, 2010)

Height Act still something to treasure
by Larry Beasley
Washington Business Journal (June 7, 2010)

The truth about DC's skyline (AUDIO)
by Rebecca Sheir
WAMU's Metro Connection (January 22, 2010)

Includes advance testimony and formal letter received through October 25, 2013.
Comments will be added following close of NCPC’s public comment period.

View Phase 2 Public Meeting comments and submitted documents (PDF)

View Phase 1 Public Meeting comments and submitted documents (PDF)

The comments below have been submitted online by members of the public.
All submitted comments are included in the public record.

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