Lyle Solla-Yates

#Cities, #history, #technology, #biketooter, #conservation #housing #yimby .  #Cville Planning Commission member, teacher, all opinions are my own fault. Bi. #cdda contributor. Searchable

Github: https://github.com/LyleSY
Pronouns: he/him
Profile photographer: Ézé Amos

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Last Notes

2026-05-11 17:23:37 CEST

Today is the meeting of the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development. I am watching for whether two of the three statewide building code proposals I worked on will be adopted: affordable elevators at 6 stories and below and single stair at 5 and 6 stories. Fourth floor single stair has consensus and is likely to be adopted.

2026-04-21 21:54:39 CEST

#TIL famous painter Pablo Picasso was arrested on suspicion of stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911. He was innocent. #Art #ArtHistory #PabloPicasso https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_Peruggia

2026-04-21 17:43:31 CEST

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Technically a state election but no one local or statewide on the ballot, just what is essentially a referendum on the present regime and the war. “No” maps to an endorsement of regime policies and foreign wars while “Yes” is a protest vote against the regime and the wars. No idea who will win and vast sums of dark money are washing across the state.

2026-04-21 17:30:41 CEST

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Probably the strangest election I’ve seen https://virginiamercury.com/2026/04/02/virginia-civil-rights-leaders-decry-misinformation-in-redistricting-fight/

2026-04-21 17:25:40 CEST

https://www.vpap.org/visuals/visual/early-voting-by-locality/ The map of early voting in Virginia on the new district maps is interesting. I’m not sure what it says. A very strange election overall. Today is the last day to vote. #Virginia #VAPol #elections

2026-04-21 01:31:18 CEST

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This sounds a lot like how I think Rhino works

2026-04-20 17:09:09 CEST

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I think this might be the master key yes

2026-04-20 02:46:25 CEST

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Best I can tell, the largest and most powerful companies have locked in much more reasonable pricing. We are scrambling for scraps.

2026-04-20 00:08:42 CEST

https://communityengagement.substack.com/p/week-ahead-for-april-20-2026-charlottesville Budget drama! I’m happy to see the $1.1 million in pedestrian safety improvements. I have been singing that song for many years now. #cville #walkable #BudgetsAreValuesDocuments

2026-04-18 21:00:28 CEST

https://kruunusillat.fi/en/releases/kruunuvuori-bridge-the-new-icon-of-helsinki/ “it is also globally exceptional as bridges of this size have not been built for the sole use of public transport, pedestrian traffic and cycling” #Helsinki #BikeTooter #transit #walkable #WarOnCars

2026-04-18 02:23:31 CEST

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They did this in South Florida also, can’t remember the station

2026-04-18 01:46:00 CEST

https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-04-16/virginias-black-residents-are-more-likely-to-die-from-extreme-temperatures-state-data-shows “at both heat and cold extremes, the likelihood of Black people dying was higher than the likelihood of white people dying in Virginia” #Virginia #equity #climate #housing

2026-04-17 22:46:41 CEST

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I'm especially excited about allowing townhouses again but there are many many fixes.

2026-04-17 22:46:11 CEST

Thanks to Sean Tubbs for covering the zoning fixes here in Charlottesville. Upset something was broken? Maybe it's fixed! #zoning #cville #housing https://infocville.com/2026/04/17/nds-working-on-communications-roll-out-for-changes-to-the-development-code/

2026-04-17 21:08:17 CEST

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It is possible that the federation to that specific server is not ideal

2026-04-17 20:22:10 CEST

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Thinking more about this, if there is an account there posting as me and their content is better, can you send me the link? I might find it interesting!

2026-04-17 20:16:55 CEST

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I am not on Bluesky to my knowledge, though my Mastodon account is bridged there

2026-04-17 17:32:41 CEST

https://virginiamercury.com/2026/04/16/a-new-law-will-make-it-easier-to-build-a-tiny-house-in-your-back-yard-starting-next-year/ “Virginia has shown that states can cut through restrictive zoning” #Virginia #VALeg #housing #zoning

2026-04-17 17:12:14 CEST

I have been using a free but terrible old Mastodon client that cannot see alt text and routinely crashes when I add alt text. That is becoming a problem because I do want to post lovely pictures that are accessible as I ramble. What more accessible client do others recommend for iOS? #accessibility

2026-04-17 16:43:59 CEST

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Can it help me AI?

2026-04-17 15:06:35 CEST

Very excited about this. For many years we have struggled in Charlottesville with the custom oversized million dollar plus fire trucks with two year wait times available on the market. They do not fit historic streets and sometimes you cannot wait two years. #BikeTooter #FireSafety #cville #BudgetsAreValuesDocuments https://cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-charlottesville-looks-to-downsize-its-firetrucks/

2026-04-17 13:35:32 CEST

Pursued by a bear? In this economy? Perhaps a small dog instead? What about an especially fierce hamster?

2026-04-17 02:33:54 CEST

Fascinating conversation with [@rorystolzenberg.bsky.social](https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/rorystolzenberg.bsky.social ) tonight about his research into the Queen Charlotte Hotel, a beautiful Charlottesville landmark torn down too soon. I stumbled on this fun postcard of it that Dave Norris posted quite a while ago #cville #preservation #WestMain

2026-04-16 17:50:36 CEST

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Agreed, really cheerful event

2026-04-16 17:47:00 CEST

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I was there, I am chasing a little one off camera to the right

2026-04-16 17:19:39 CEST

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My favorite part of the Bible is the dance scene with the scissor moves.

2026-04-16 16:55:37 CEST

The great @npub1wrd…gylw is doing another reddit real estate AMA on the Charlottesville area market. If you have a question for a pro, this is a great time. #cville #RealEstate #housing https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlottesville/comments/1sn3kk9/charlottesville_real_estate_ama_april_2026/

2026-04-16 13:46:11 CEST

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Annoying cats may be the foundation of all humor. It is essential to our nature to annoy cats, we do it without even trying.

2026-04-16 04:16:36 CEST

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I can’t believe no one else has thought of this

2026-04-16 02:23:49 CEST

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I am always saying this

2026-04-16 01:12:20 CEST

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do you have a name yet?

2026-04-16 01:07:59 CEST

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This song always has a new meaning for me with whatever is happening at the moment

2026-04-15 16:34:06 CEST

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depends on the area. I remain hopeful that open source and open standards can help, as can government owned or licensed competition. I’m hopeful that the digital sovereignty movement will help also.

2026-04-14 00:57:14 CEST

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I’m pretty sure it’s a Traveler reference https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Traveler

2026-04-13 23:05:47 CEST

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Huge thanks to [@katrinacallsen.com](https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/katrinacallsen.com ) for carrying this to success in a very busy legislative year and Governor Spanberger for signing it. Now the work starts to actually try and figure out how to use this new tool to help people.

2026-04-13 23:03:50 CEST

I believe HB282 permitting Charlottesville, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, and Newport News has been signed by the Governor and enters into effect on July 1st! https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB282 #VALeg #TaxReform #SplitRateTaxation

2026-04-13 20:21:01 CEST

https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116382-en.html “Governor Abigail Spanberger did not sign dozens of tax bills into law — because the General Assembly never passed them, and the bills never reached her desk.” #VALeg #Virginia #TaxReform

2026-04-13 20:09:57 CEST

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I tested two different bus routes but could have chosen a third. The walk to the University area is lovely this season, tons of flowers, bees, and butterflies. It is definitely in bicycle range but the route is not as safe as I would like, many sharrows. It is an easy walk to a school and a grocery store. Not perfect but overall pretty good by Charlottesville standards

2026-04-13 19:42:44 CEST

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No, I’ve just finished teaching and reacquainting myself with the world

2026-04-13 19:39:06 CEST

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The site is currently dominated by a large sign promoting the Flint Hill townhome development. A row of townhomes backs up to the parcel on one side. In the other is the fence of an older stucco bungalow. This parcel is a stone’s throw from an elementary school and has pretty good crosswalks in the intersection.

2026-04-13 19:36:43 CEST

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Standing at 408 Harris now I can confirm the strip does exist, as well as the sidewalk. No trees yet though
https://cdn.masto.host/cvilleonline/media_attachments/files/116/398/601/052/178/444/original/c1ac9da2d0ae889e.jpeg

2026-04-13 16:35:09 CEST

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I like how Disco Elysium handles this but don’t want to say more in case you have not played it

2026-04-10 21:36:02 CEST

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I don’t recall an explicit shout out but he sounds a whole lot like Fuller’s writing on sea power. I wonder if Fuller picked up his terrible writing style

2026-04-10 17:47:03 CEST

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Fascinating case study to how organizational culture can demand catastrophic failure. I like the twenty sunken Manila galleons also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_galleon

2026-04-10 17:15:44 CEST

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I don’t think that Disney has the will for it but a story about Punisher-worshipping government agents gone rogue vs. Punisher might be interesting. https://www.newsweek.com/punisher-police-blue-lives-matter-skull-logo-1449272

2026-04-10 16:34:49 CEST

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Have you tried Buffy and Angel? Some similar vibes. Fair warning: season 1 of Buffy is ROUGH

2026-04-09 22:29:53 CEST

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Oh interesting, staff is proposing to get rid of the student housing zone and charge all housing the same fee, while lowering the fee overall if I am understanding them correctly. They believe this will make more construction financially feasible and raise fee collection.

2026-04-09 22:19:32 CEST

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Something that has been challenging for me to get my head around is what a huge chunk of the city we are talking about with the student housing zone around the University
https://cdn.masto.host/cvilleonline/media_attachments/files/116/376/587/864/605/842/original/7b20738fb6c8d19a.png

2026-04-09 22:02:05 CEST

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Finally I see a staff presentation called "ADU Manual In-Lieu Fee & Student Housing Study", a topic I have posted on here about many times and have received a great deal of public correspondence about. In Virginia "ADU" means "Affordable Dwelling Unit" in the law.

2026-04-09 22:00:40 CEST

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Next up is a request for a Special Exception at 408 Harris to allow a strip of public right of way maintained by the adjacent owner (just below the green strip in the picture and just above the sidewalk) to be considered "amenity space". The applicant says they have offered to purchase the strip. Staff are recommending denial.
https://cdn.masto.host/cvilleonline/media_attachments/files/116/376/486/969/164/589/original/e5380a71b323cac9.png

2026-04-09 21:30:36 CEST

I am excited to go to another puppet parade in sunny Charlottesville this month to honor Stan Winston and Steve Warner https://www.arch.virginia.edu/events/stan-winston-steve-warner-festival-moving-creature-2026 #cville #puppets #StanWinston #UVa

2026-04-09 19:11:45 CEST

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“One church has been working for about five years to try to build affordable housing on their property, and because of zoning laws it just wasn’t happening,” said Sessoms. “That church ended up spending well over $300,000 without a shovel in the ground. They decided late last year that they would give up.” #YIGBY

2026-04-09 17:59:46 CEST

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Surely we can have a reasoned debate about this

2026-04-09 17:36:24 CEST

https://virginiamercury.com/2026/04/08/repub/drive-for-more-housing-sparks-rare-bipartisanship-in-statehouses/ “Fix housing prices, for the love of God” #housing #Virginia #VALeg #USPolitics #inflation #shortage #zoning

2026-04-09 15:42:00 CEST

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You sound exactly like Tom Waits!

2026-04-08 19:33:55 CEST

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I am hopeful that that federal funding will be released to address important public problems. If it is, about half a million dollars are being recommended to be spent on ten different nonprofit projects and the "Council Housing Initiatives Fund"

2026-04-08 19:19:34 CEST

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I see one public hearing called "Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) and HOME Investment
Partnerships Program (“HOME”) Funding: Draft Program Year 2026-27 Annual Action Plan."

2026-04-08 19:18:12 CEST

The agenda has been posted for the April 14th meeting of the Charlottesville Planning Commission here https://charlottesvilleva.portal.civicclerk.com/event/2623/files #HOME #CDBG #cville #housing

2026-04-07 20:06:46 CEST

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"At first, it seemed like a miracle..."

2026-04-07 20:05:13 CEST

I see a lot of anxiety about nuclear war on the timeline. As a child of the Cold War I find this very familiar. I don't know if it helps you, but here is a fictional account of how that would go here in only slightly radioactive Charlottesville https://www.nps.gov/articles/charlottesville-1979.htm #cville #Charlottesville #NuclearWar #disaster

2026-04-07 16:11:44 CEST

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I do indeed, not the happiest with Apple either, it’s been a bad few years here in the tech world

2026-04-07 13:26:23 CEST

I believe I have removed all of the many Google apps I had installed on my phone now. The reversal of their climate pledge and their embrace of air pollution to max out fire and flood and starvation deaths was the final straw for me. https://www.wired.com/story/a-new-google-funded-data-center-will-be-powered-by-a-massive-gas-plant/ #degoogle #climate #goodnight #AIBubble

2026-04-06 17:13:58 CEST

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/05/how-paris-swapped-cars-for-bikes-and-remade-its-streets "don’t be afraid of being ambitious" #Paris #climate #BikeTooter #SchoolStreets #ParkingReform #transit #walkable #15MinuteCities

2026-04-06 16:53:49 CEST

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Good general advice

2026-04-06 00:49:50 CEST

https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-04-03/virginia-will-soon-have-an-eviction-prevention-program “Evictions are not just the result of poverty. Evictions can also be the cause of poverty” #VALeg #housing #virginia #Homelessness #poverty #eviction

2026-04-05 12:16:58 CEST

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This is a plan, thanks!

2026-04-05 01:46:36 CEST

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That movie is so good

2026-04-04 20:48:07 CEST

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Attached, so we have a lot of freedom but then need to get back with the group. Ooh, I do love a good funicular. Sadly no Bergen this time

2026-04-04 20:04:49 CEST

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Sadly no, I’d love to see it

2026-04-04 20:01:12 CEST

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One week with the family, hitting a fjord tour so several towns along the coast

2026-04-04 19:43:18 CEST

Heading to sunny Norway this summer to soak in the fjords. This will be my first time. Any top Norway travel tips? #Norway #travel

2026-04-04 00:09:41 CEST

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“the incident took place while he was heavily medicated as part of a cancer treatment” I think it is possible that instead of breaking the laws of physics, he had a powerful dream

2026-04-03 21:05:36 CEST

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"Remember this. Try."

2026-04-03 14:50:39 CEST

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All of the following monarchs look back at Charles and decide they won’t be him, so either go harder or softer or both. I’m not sure it matters.

2026-04-03 14:35:22 CEST

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Shout out to Mike Duncan’s Revolutions podcast for making me aware of this. I was not taught about 1833 Russia in Florida schools and I suspect most other Americans were not either https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revolutions/id703889772?i=1000449060676

2026-04-03 14:28:54 CEST

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodoxy,_Autocracy,_and_Nationality I have been struggling since the attack here in 2017 to understand the current wave of nationalism crashing over the world and replacing the world of rules and democracy I took for granted, however delicate and insincere it may have been. I think 1833 Russia has given me the best clue so far #history #autocracy

2026-04-03 13:35:57 CEST

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they’re just a bunch of silly guys making silly toys!

2026-04-03 12:52:16 CEST

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Instead of aiming for little or no construction, if the aim is substantial price relief like we are seeing in Minneapolis and Austin, there must instead be a substantial “zoning buffer” so that even though owners and parcels vary, there is a reasonable chance that something is actually built. https://www.lewis.ucla.edu/research/building-up-the-zoning-buffer-using-broad-upzones-to-increase-housing-capacity-without-increasing-land-values/

2026-04-03 12:48:16 CEST

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Making the overall zoning map more fair IMO is a good thing. The challenge though is that if DC is too narrow, too targeted, they risk doing a Chicago and getting nothing. That may be the most politically realistic outcome but not helpful in a housing crisis https://yonahfreemark.com/2021/04/13/upzoning-chicago-impacts-of-a-zoning-reform-on-property-values-and-housing-construction/

2026-04-03 12:44:08 CEST

https://51st.news/dc-flum-housing-density-displacement/ So DC is considering a “modest but targeted” upzoning in Ward 3, the most northwest chunk I have previously criticized for being overwhelmingly exclusionary compared to the rest of the city. #housing #zoning #UrbanPlanning

2026-04-02 21:31:57 CEST

Me: (chops up orange slices for the little one)
Little one: “Yes! This is my perfect day!”
🍊
#parenting

2026-04-02 21:24:51 CEST

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01797-9 “8 weeks after the implementation, traffic volumes declined by 10%, resulting in a 16–22% drop in emissions” #NYC #PublicHealth #CleanAir #CongestionPricing #climate

2026-04-02 18:41:37 CEST

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Ooh, very relaxing

2026-04-02 17:53:58 CEST

https://www.vpm.org/news/2026-03-30/cville-pha-pacem-brach-housing-security-shelter-holiday-cherry #cville #housing #homelessness #FoodEquity #transit

2026-04-02 13:34:36 CEST

https://dof.virginia.gov/forest-management-health/forest-health/financial-assistance-program/callery-pear-exchange-program/ Hey Virginia, want to replace up to three Bradford Pear trees with a native? This is a great time. #Virginia #trees #PlantNatives

2026-04-02 01:44:30 CEST

When one door closes, another opens. Your doors are broken and you should talk to a carpenter.

2026-04-01 18:39:59 CEST

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Finally someone willing to say it

2026-04-01 18:31:06 CEST

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I was just lecturing about this. Dark times can pass. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birwood_Wall

2026-04-01 15:40:21 CEST

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I like that they sometimes take a break from terrorizing the nation and just get a little silly with it

2026-04-01 15:18:19 CEST

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We used to have war profiteering and now we have profiteering wars.

2026-04-01 15:07:41 CEST

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You and I are in the same energy regulatory district. Demand is shooting up and we're not building capacity. The only way to square that circle is very big cost jumps to force rationing https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/prince-georges-county-to-investigate-high-utility-bills/4084350/

2026-04-01 14:52:00 CEST

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You might like Lords of Acid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo-U

2026-04-01 13:51:59 CEST

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This is an incredible buying opportunity. 🏴‍☠️

2026-04-01 13:51:19 CEST

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Delighted, building code is a maze. Occasionally entertaining, often dull!

2026-04-01 04:52:52 CEST

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I proposed something similar for Virginia at the fourth story but it was more fully fleshed out. This is more of a broad idea that will need more work.

2026-04-01 04:51:58 CEST

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Very much depends on implementation IMO but I'm hopeful that they'll get it right. The US and Canada has been having a big internal battle over whether global standards should be allowed here. https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2025/02/small-single-stairway-apartment-buildings-have-strong-safety-record

2026-04-01 04:16:52 CEST

https://ggwash.org/view/102541/streetcar-final-eulogy “if we want strong transit, we must care enough to actually make transit strong” #DCStreetcar #transit #DMV

2026-04-01 04:12:22 CEST

https://archive.is/2026.03.31-235740/https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2026/03/31/single-stair-bill-dc-council-nadeau.html “The D.C. Council on Tuesday unanimously advanced legislation that paves the way for a building code amendment allowing a single entrance, exit and stairway for multifamily residences up to six stories.” #DMV #housing #design #SingleStair

2026-03-31 13:38:07 CEST

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👏 let’s 👏 just 👏 be 👏 chill

2026-03-30 17:47:15 CEST

This has been a challenging time for local governments working to prevent loss of life and property from fire and flood #disaster #USPolitics #FEMA #flood #WildFire #UrbanPlanning https://www.npr.org/2026/03/30/nx-s1-5753765/fema-trump-extreme-weather-rural-pennsylvania