DC in 200 Years

In 200 years from now, I think that Washington DC will look similar to the outlines that Meghan and Kristen gave. Since it is the nation's capital and the 'capital of the free world,' one would expect it to stay culturally diverse. However, even now gentrification is happening in areas such as Columbia Heights, with the threat moving to Adams Morgan which is geographically close, but still a cultural hub. Even areas around U Street, which have been culturally diverse throughout Washington DC's history as one of the areas where the civil rights movement really manifested itself; the area is now catering to wealthy young adults who can afford to live upper middle class lifestyles in an area of downtown DC. On the other hand, as we have continually discussed in our class, the need for a change to focus on the environmental is coming. I would expect DC to be a leader in that change towards living sustainability when the time comes (basically the last minute). I think that DC will reluctantly move to sustainable architecture, practices, energy, etc. and it will be a leader in this technology because it is the capital. I do not think that green space will be eliminated because it is such a huge part of the makeup of DC, and is one of the things the city is praised for.

I hope the region will change and move to more efficient technology and energy uses. I think that the future of energy holds a combination of bio fuels, wind, solar, geothermal, etc. None of these technologies is going to be the 'silver bullet' that revolutionizes the way we use energy. I think that harnessing energy is going to become a real issue, and that 200 years down the line, we will have perfected this technology (we already have it, its just too expensive and no one is willing to invest to help bring down costs). Like I said, I think energy will be a combination of all sorts of renewable energy because this will make renewable energy able to be catered to individual areas (example - Washington DC does not have a lot of open areas for harvesting bio fuels, and transport brings costs up. DC could harness solar and wind energy because you do not need open spaces, just areas on top of buildings where you can place small wind turbines or solar panels). I hope cars of the future will have solar panels on the top that generate energy while running, and there are significantly less. DC is already applauded for having a clean (though not as safe as people had originally thought) public transportation system and I hope that we can expand on this in the future. Providing public transportation to more and more individuals with efficient service and clean technology is something that DC should strive for as a leader in public transit. I also would hope that office buildings would look more like the Merrill Center in Annapolis. This building contains energy saving technology, LEED certification tools, such as catching storm water runoff and using gray and black water in the building, and creates a general atmosphere where workers are happier and have more control over their setting. I recently saw in downtown DC (17th and G streets I think) that the first LEED certified office building was built in DC. I do not think that LEED has all of the answers, but I think it is a starting point for making the future of new construction and modifying existing structures more sustainable. I also hope housing will follow a setting similar to Battery City in NYC, but even more sustainable. The complexes will generate their own power through wind or solar energy, and recycle all water and capture storm water runoff. If there is a gym in the housing complex, it can be attached to the power grid so you can offset energy use when you are working out.

I do not think that all of these things will happen, though I feel that a lot of them are necessary if we want to continue living our western lifestyle. I think that I am generally idealistic in terms of the future. I think that many environmentally-aware individuals are waiting for oil to peak, and then when things start to go downhill from there, the government and the people of the world will clamor for the change that should be happening now, and it will happen rapidly. However, as we have seen in our class, not all individuals even at our age acknowledge the impact we are having on the environment (this is not a criticism, it's just a way of showing how peoples opinions are significantly different). This type of mindset will lead to more hanging around and waiting for the planet to change or somehow produce a new energy source, which is what government and policy makers seem to currently be doing. I would expect DC to look significantly different 200 years down the line, but at the rate that changes are being made, I'm not going to hold my breath.