babybackribs2314:
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I think the height limits of downtown DC really should stay, as well. They've encouraged the creation of so many new urban neighborhoods in MD and VA, as development continues to move outwards while downtown DC remains vibrant.
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This is exactly why I think the height limit should be re-examined. Being a District resident, I don't like to see the District lose out on all the property, business, and income tax revenue that is shifted to other jurisdictions because the District is unable to accommodate this demand for growth. I don't mean to take a beggar-thy-neighbor approach but even with all the growth and change the District has been through in the past decade, we still have staggering social problems. This tax revenue that is lost to MD and VA could be used to improve our schools and pay for other important services.
As Christopher Leinberger pointed out in his discussion, most of the new development is also concentrated in the 'favored quarter' (i.e. Montgomery Co, FFX Co, and NW DC), although this is changing a bit. Most of the unemployment and poverty, however, is concentrated in the eastern half of the DC region. This leads to a mismatch of where new jobs are created and an available labor pool that can use them. This isn't to blame anyone. One response to address this is to do a much better job of creating transit-oriented development in Prince Georges Co.