Redistricting to Shift Ward 6 Boundaries

By Melissa Silverman Every decade, the boundaries of all eight wards of Washington, DC are reconsidered in a redistricting process that aims to ensure equitable representation across the city.  The 2020 Census recorded the District’s population as 689,545, which means that, by law, each ward should have between 81,883 and […]

A Gateway to Southwest: New Frederick Douglass Bridge Opens with Community Gathering

 By Melissa Silverman On a sunny Labor Day in Southwest, community members gathered to celebrate a transportation and infrastructure milestone: the completion of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.  Located between Audi Field and South Capitol Street, the new bridge will ferry pedestrians, cyclists and motorists across the Anacostia River. […]

Pop-up Arboretum Hanging Out in Lansburgh Park

By District Department of Transportation Staff DDOT Urban Forestry Division and Southwest Business Improvement District (SWBID) are collaborating on a new initiative, a pop-up arboretum in Lansburgh Park, launching around August 2. The pop-up arboretum is a temporary exhibit of nineteen notable trees ranging from a young paw paw tree […]

Op-Ed: Auditor’s Report Reveals DCHA Continues to Neglect Lead Issues

By Cameron Etessami and Rachael Davis, Members of Southwest Action A November report from the Office of the DC Auditor (ODCA) highlighted major concerns regarding lead-based paint exposure in public housing. The Report asserts that the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) largely neglected to execute proper lead abatement after hazards were […]

Buzzard Point: Dusty Questions Remain

By Matt Koehler Last month, The Southwester published an article that investigated complaints of pollution and excess dust experienced by long-existing border communities and incoming residents in and around Buzzard Point. Our investigation centered around the ready-mix concrete plants that operate out of the area and delved into whether those […]