Sustainability : Features

The rise of the sharing economy has created a new class of entrepreneur. Their startups are monetizing everything from tool swaps to unused parking spots in cities, and one of them might be the next Airbnb.

Reusing building materials "keeps items that normally would end up in the landfill in the community," says one project manager. Nonprofits have been pushing the idea for decades, but now industry, in D.C. and elsewhere, is catching up.

The Anacostia Watershed Society is studying catfish from the river to learn exactly what toxins are in their bodies and in the river. On Saturday, a fishing event drew residents out to help.

Elevation DC and Smart Growth America's Transportation in the City panel brought a standing-room-only crowd to 1776 to discuss new modes of transportation and the changes they're bringing to D.C.'s neighborhoods.

D.C.-area residents have more choices about how to get around today than ever before. Car sharing, bike sharing and ride sharing—and the apps that make these choices possible—are revolutionizing transportation as we know it. Want to know more? Read our article and then join us for a free panel discussion Sept. 25.

After more than a half-century of being retired, D.C. streetcars are set to connect the city by promoting new developments and serving neighborhoods that aren’t near a station. 

As cities continue to become more bike-friendly, new bike-based businesses are springing up to support the movement. These bike-centric businesses are both banking on and promoting a growing interest in riding, and in the process they are boosting their cities' economies.

The second event in Elevation DC's speaker series, in partnership with Smart Growth America, brought a crowd to discuss how food and restaurants reshape neighborhoods.

Tapping into a growing trend of local, organic food, Meredith Sheperd's for-profit business, Love & Carrots, helps urban residents get the localest of local foods--from their own backyards.

When it comes to getting around the city, D.C. residents have tons of choices, with bikesharing, peer-to-peer carsharing, Uber and more starting up operations here. (Okay, we were kidding about the planes.) The question is: why here?

Businesses that emphasize not just profits, but also people and the planet, are thriving in the District. The second annual Do Good Summit aims to capitalize on that trend and take it to the next level.

The RiverSmart Homes program reduces stormwater runoff in D.C., cleaning up the Anacostia watershed while providing a business boost for a local landscaping company.

Students from three D.C. universities will be the first to represent the District in an energy-efficiency competition that started here. When they're done, they'll take those green, marketable skills to local employers.

District residents are using fewer plastic bags since the passage of the "bag law," which requires businesses that sell food to charge five cents per disposable bag. But what else has changed?

Hundreds of D.C.-area chefs are boarding boats on the Chesapeake Bay to see firsthand how the local fare is harvested, and what makes it menu-worthy.