Interview with Nick Burger, Washington, D.C. neighborhood representative

Abstract

This interview was conducted as part of Rebecca Summer's research for the dissertation "The Urban Alley: A Hidden Landscape of Social Change in Washington, D.C." Burger is an elected commissioner for the ANC 6B (Advisory Neighborhood Commission) in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, D.C. He has been involved with helping neighbors navigate the 2016 zoning rules and how they apply to alley lots. In particular, he has been helping people get alleys named, so that they then can have addresses and apply for building permits. The interview covers the new (2016) zoning code, alley lots, the process for applying to build on them, which includes getting alleys named, and reasons people build on them. There is also discussion of whether alley lots and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) contribute to affordable housing in the city.