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City Cast DC

McKenna Harford

Between the new White House ballroom, the proposed Arc de Trump, and whatever’s going to happen to the Kennedy Center, President Trump is trying to reimagine the city in his image.

Paul Goldberger, a longtime architecture critic at the New York Times and New Yorker, wrote a blistering essay about the Trump effect on D.C. — even 

 the Italian Prime Minister Mussolini. And like Mussolini, Trump totally gets the city wrong. Goldberger came on the pod to talk about his essay and the historical parallels he sees.

“[Trump] envisions it as a place of imperial grandeur because he envisions himself more as an emperor than as a democratic president, and he's trying to reshape it to be the seat of an empire,” Goldberger said.

Goldberger said the best cities have a mix of “wonderful accidents and wonderful intention,” both order and chaos, but argues that because Trump’s focus is on himself, his proposed projects will overwhelm the city with little regard for its history or layout.

“ He's missing the importance of history. The idea that the White House is some kind of piece of personal property that he can tinker with during his period of residency…” Goldberger said. “The process we're seeing right now is a joke.”

The most infamous example is Trump’s proposed 90,000 square-foot ballroom (

) at the East Wing of the White House. Goldberger said the building will overshadow the White House in size and block the vista between the president’s residence and the Capitol — a key element in Pierre L’Enfant’s original designs for Washington.

“ The symbolism is pretty bad there,” Goldberger said. “It's completely saying that imperial grandeur — no pun intended — trumps the people's view.”

Even the original White House structure could be tampered with if Trump 

 from the staid ionic style to the more ornate Corinthian style favored by Roman emperors.

 — a 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle — shows the president often “confuses size with quality,” Goldberger said. If built, the Arc de Trump would be the main view from the Lincoln Memorial, blocking the line of sight to Arlington Cemetery.

“I worry it would make even the Lincoln Memorial seem trivial,” Goldberger said.

Trump’s plans are not all set — or built — in stone yet. Delays from the permitting processes and lawsuits aiming to completely prevent construction have slowed progress. But this year will still bring massive changes to D.C.’s architectural landscape.

How Trump is “destroying” DC

Between the East Wing of the White House, the proposed Arc de Trump, and whatever’s going to happen to the Kennedy Center, how will President Trump's projects change the city's look?

Is Trump Destroying DC’s Architecture? 

What Washingtonians have been wondering. We break down why things in DC are the way they are and how they work.

DC, Explained

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Traffic circles in D.C. wear a variety of hats — picnic spot, bocce ball court, salsa dancing studio, chess club, place to feel road rage. They are so essential to our cityscape that it’s easy to forget they’re a uniquely D.C. feature. We chatted with 

 about how we wound up with all these circles and what’s going to become of them.

A Brief (But Fascinating) History Of DC Traffic Circles

When Pierre L’Enfant designed the city in 1791 as a north-south and east-west grid system, he also created long, diagonal avenues to shorten travel between federal buildings. Where these intersected, he put circles where neighbors could relax and tune into the city around them. He plotted the spaces close together to create 

“reciprocity of sight,” so you could gaze from one to the next.

Only five in L’Enfant’s original plan became circles that exist today — Washington, Thomas, Scott, Logan, and Dupont — but the city has over 36 in total. At first there was nothing surrounding them. “Back in the day, you laid the city out first and you waited for stuff to fill in around it,” 

. “D.C. would be this grand capital, right? So, you needed a sense of monumentality.”

Back then — remember this was pre-car — the circles were a free-for-all with wagons going every which way. But in the 1900s when cars became the norm, the circles could no longer handle all the traffic. So, D.C. added traffic signals, crosswalks, split lanes, and underpasses which all helped manage collisions and increased pedestrian traffic.

So, what separates some of D.C.’s most-used traffic circles like Dupont or Sherman from ones like Scott Circle, which sits empty year round? Reed says the 

 is pedestrian accessibility, but it also helps when the streets that converge are relatively small and slow.

Take Thomas Circle for example, where 14th Street and Massachusetts Avenue meet. Previously, it was fenced off and difficult to reach so it never got much pedestrian traffic. But recently, car movements around the circle have been reconfigured and bike lanes were added, which has made it easier to walk to and made it more popular.

How Are DC Traffic Circles Changing? 

What’s The Deal With DC’s Traffic Circles? 

D.C.’s outdoor dining landscape is changing once again. The Temporary Streatery Program, which launched during the height of the pandemic, is set to 

. The program allowed restaurants to quickly expand seating into curbside areas to help diners feel comfortable during COVID-19’s spread.

The good news for outdoor dining aficionados is that streateries are not going away completely. Instead, the District Department of Transportation is creating a permanent Streatery Program. But, this new program comes with stricter requirements and cost changes.

Under the new rules, restaurants wishing to keep their outdoor structures, or build one, must apply for a 

. Participating restaurants will have to pay a roughly $20 per square foot public space fee, plus costs for barriers, potential electric work, and more. Restaurants will also have to comply with updated safety and accessibility standards.

For restaurants that will not apply for the new permit, DDOT will help businesses 

remove the debris of deconstructed streateries

. Restaurants looking for this assistance must contact the department by Nov. 1 or face possible risk enforcement.

 that have streateries currently, only three told 7News they plan to keep their outdoor dining structures. In Georgetown, the same was said for only 10 of the 67 businesses with street dining.

While many might be lamenting roadside patios that became a fixture of the early pandemic era, some don’t think they have a place in D.C. Nick DelleDonne, a spokesman for D.C. Safe Streets Coalition, told us recently that 

streateries are eyesores and they narrow D.C.'s streets

, jeopardizing safety. City Cast DC listener Scot S. agrees. “Parking spaces are for parking,” he said. “Same for bike lanes. As a bicyclist and pedestrian, streateries jeopardize my safety to put money in someone else’s pocket.”

Do streateries still belong in D.C.?

More Changes to DC’s Streatery Program

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in DC. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

DC Food & Drink

Food & Drink

After many hours of debate, multiple last-minute amendments, and, in my case, a very large bowl of Ben & Jerry’s, the D.C. Council voted to approve the city’s nearly $22 billion budget on Monday evening.

But the move that garnered the most attention came as the D.C. Council voted to partially repeal Initiative 82, the ballot measure twice passed by Washington voters, which sought to phase out the lower minimum wage for tipped workers. 

 to hear WAMU’s Alex Koma break it all down.

On Monday, the D.C. Council passed an amendment to Initiative 82 that rolled back big swathes of it, freezing wages at the current rate of $10 an hour, gradually increasing it every two years with the goal of giving restaurants more time to adjust and plan for the changes. 

The amendment was proposed Sunday by Councilmembers Charles Allen and Christina Henderson, and passed 7-5, though some members said they did not have time to consider it and some others who did adamantly opposed it.

"The voters told us what they wanted. And this is not it," said Councilmember Brianne Nadeau. "This council should stop telling voters they don't know what's best." The vote sparked an uproar among demonstrators who packed city hall and shouted “blood is on your hands." Council chambers were locked following the protest.

To find more revenue, Bowser has proposed some unpopular cuts, scaling back the D.C. Healthcare Alliance, and tightening 

. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who has been a critic of Bowser’s budget from the beginning, argued that the cuts — which target not only Medicaid, but also violence prevention programs and student mental health services — leave “serious holes in our social safety net for the city’s most vulnerable residents.” She and Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker were the only members who voted against the budget.

Trayon White, the former (and future) Ward 8 Councilmember, came to the Wilson building on Monday, a glaring reminder of the fact that Ward 8 has not had a representative on the Council during the deliberations over this year’s budget.

The D.C. Council remains in an uncertain political moment, struggling with how much to stand up to both Mayor Bowser and to threats of federal interference.

Now that the budget is passed, the Council will turn its attention to the Washington Commanders RFK Stadium deal. Public hearings start today, and the Council will take its first vote on Friday on a revised agreement to develop the RFK stadium campus. We don’t yet know if it has the votes to pass.

Here's what you need to know about the D.C. council's vote on the 2026 fiscal budget and how it will affect Washingtonians. 

Behind Washington, DC's 2026 Fiscal Budget

DC's 2026 Budget Passes—But Not Without a Fight

What's being decided in DC City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and DC City Council.

DC Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

It’s no secret D.C.’s got a lot of parks, and that Washingtonians are proud as hell of them. The Trust for Public Lands counts 

 in the District, probably part of the reason we’re consistently ranked the nation’s best big-city park system (

). But with so many options, how can you know which park best suits your birthday picnic, bird watching, tree climbing, or quiet reading? Don’t worry. We’re on it.

 to explore all 697 parks in D.C. and catalog them for us. WAMU 

 last month, which — lucky for us and you — frees him up to bike, walk, Metro, and even kayak to the four corners of our city diamond, with his trusty Hey DC mug in tow. 

And he’ll report back! Which park is the hardest to get to? Which has the creepiest Civil War history? And which space has the coolest programming?

Here at City Cast DC, we’ve already delved into our fair share of park coverage. On our podcast, we interviewed the community member who spearheaded the 

history behind one of D.C.’s largest parks

. But we’re eager to learn more, and to have you follow along.

We’ll be tracking Jacob’s progress on this page and our 

 — updating them as he checks parks off his loooooong list. And 

 for articles he’s going to write along the way. Plus! If you’ve got park questions, we’re determined to get you answers. 

Ask away!

Follow along on the map! Plus, as you can see, Jacob's searching for D.C.'s boundary stones along the way too. There are 40 total, but 26 on the D.C. side of the Potomac. So far, he's visited 13.

D.C.’s got 683 parks, and we’ve got just the person to visit them all.

City Cast DC Presents: The Ultimate DC Parks Quest

DC's Ultimate Parks Quest

Parks Quest

D.C.’s got 697 parks. Environmental reporter Jacob Fenston is biking, walking, Metroing, and even kayaking across the District to answer all of your park questions

The Ultimate DC Parks Quest

Pierre L’Enfant, the designer of our fair city, named D.C.’s streets by letters (east-west) and numbers (north-south), but a few letters are conspicuously missing. Namely, J St. and everything after W St.

X, Y, and Z’s absence can be 

. They weren’t needed. In early D.C., Florida Ave. was named Boundary Street, and it was the limits of the city. W St. was the last street before Boundary Street, so all the rest of the alphabet was void.

Additionally, J St. doesn’t exist because back in the day, the letter J didn’t exist. And, once it did, it looked so much like the letter “I” that people thought a J St. would be confusing.

However, if you want the more juicy (and false) story, rumor has it that L’Enfant so despised John Jay, an American politician and Supreme Court justice, that he slighted him by omitting J St.

What's the Meaning Behind Missing Streets?

Everything to know about DC neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

city planning

Is Trump Destroying DC’s Architecture?

What’s The Deal With DC’s Traffic Circles?

More Changes to DC’s Streatery Program

Latest articles

Is Trump Destroying DC’s Architecture?

What’s The Deal With DC’s Traffic Circles?

More Changes to DC’s Streatery Program

DC's 2026 Budget Passes—But Not Without a Fight

DC's Ultimate Parks Quest

What's the Meaning Behind Missing Streets?

Latest articles

DC's 2026 Budget Passes—But Not Without a Fight

DC's Ultimate Parks Quest

What's the Meaning Behind Missing Streets?