CityLab - Improving Communities Together

On Monday, September 4, 2017, I paid a visit to the Washington, DC - Ward 5, Eckington neighborhood. Upon entering the subdivision, I noticed a platted sign which read the year 1887. This is the year real estate entrepreneur George Truesdell developed the Eckington residential subdivision. Research shows, from 1894 to 1897, Mr. Truesdell served on the District Board of Commissions where he fought to bring improvement and prosperity to the Eckington development.

At present, the living standard for Eckington residents meets many traits required for a healthy habitat. This includes but is not limited to, clean water, nearby healthy restaurants, grocery stores, clothing stores, functioning traffic lights, schools, diverse community, accessible mode of transportation, bike rental stations, nearby museums, walking trails, parks, recreational places, gardens/yards, car repair shops, storage facilities, local fire station, sidewalks, and safe infrastructure.

Despite noticing the aforementioned standards of living, there are definitely areas of the neighborhood that require our attention and are not up to standards. For example, toward the very end of Eckington, the visible eye notices abandoned industrial buildings and boarded up spaces. Moreover, a lot of construction is taking place, leading to pollution, noise and traffic congestion.

Speaking to Sabrina Thompson, a local resident of the Eckington neighborhood, she is proud of the commission offering low income housing, feasible commute to and from work, and many of the facilities mentioned previously. However, Mrs. Thompson is afraid of the crime rate, drugs, poor schooling in certain parts of the neighborhood, and too many apartment buildings and condominiums being built, which most believe will rise the cost of living in the long-run for local residents.

Being part of the Eckington CityLab initiative, I enjoyed experiencing first hand what constitutes a healthy habitat. My next goal is to find ways of contributing to improve livability standards for generations to come. Quality of life is every human's right!