After a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Dick Wolf Memorial Lecture is resuming. Sponsored by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS), this event showcases excellence in research and writing on issues related to urban planning and historical preservation. This year’s lecture will cover the topic of cities after COVID, with a particular focus on the unique challenges and opportunities for Washington, DC.
Since the pandemic, employees have had great leverage in the decision about how and where they work. With commercial real estate currently underutilized in downtown DC, this presents an opportunity to change that landscape by converting these buildings to residential, mixed-use or something entirely different. These decisions will likely impact the feel of the city core and affect the type of residents and workers that will be attracted and retained.
This year’s lecturer will be John Rennie Short, emeritus professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. Dr. Short’s research interests include cities, environmental issues, geopolitics, and the history of cartography. He is the author of 60 books and has written a second edition of “Stress Testing The USA,” highlighting what the pandemic revealed about the country’s structural weaknesses. He lives in Washington, DC.
The 2023 Dick Wolf Memorial Lecture will take place at 7 p.m. on September 29 at the Hill Center at 921 Pennsylvania Ave SE. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call CHRS at 202-543-0425 or visit www.chrs.org/2023-dick-wolf-lecture/.
Dick Wolf (1933-2012) was one of the District’s most ardent and effective visionaries. After moving to Capitol Hill in 1964, he worked tirelessly and effectively on community planning (including the Comprehensive Plan), historic preservation, and sound neighborhood development. He served on the CHRS Board for many years, most often as President, and also served on the Committee of 100 of the Federal City. His vision for Washington was of a great, world-class city that houses both the nation’s great institutions as well as families with young children; balances its appetite for massive growth with preservation of the character of its irreplaceable historic residential neighborhoods; and integrates sound, sustained city planning principles, practices and administrative processes into all the city’s business.
Delancey Gustin and Monte Edwards serve on the CHRS Board of Directors
