David Ramos
@imagineterrain.bsky.social
Designer/design educator in Washington, D.C. Making maps/systems to help us imagine landscapes past + future. Lost streams,🚲🛶🌊 On the web — imaginaryterrain.com
Pinned
David Ramos
@imagineterrain.bsky.social
· Sep 24
A pinned collection of map projects, starting with "Lost Streams of Washington, DC," and "From Bay to Mountains," the Chesapeake Bay region's railroads, past and present.
Muriel Bowser will not run for re-election.
Quite the pre-Thanksgiving news: Mayor Muriel Bowser will not seek a fourth term in office. That's a huge opening a mayoral race that still doesn't have any major candidates in it, but with possible entries from Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.
November 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Muriel Bowser will not run for re-election.
When I see Terry Lynch's campaign signs, I think that the candidate is running for Alaska's senate seat. Possibly because the green blob isn't actually the shape of Ward 1.
November 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
When I see Terry Lynch's campaign signs, I think that the candidate is running for Alaska's senate seat. Possibly because the green blob isn't actually the shape of Ward 1.
Reposted by David Ramos
What's left of the original RFK Stadium in DC.
November 24, 2025 at 2:12 AM
What's left of the original RFK Stadium in DC.
New town problems! From the Takoma Park council minutes, Dec. 2, 1901. The town borrowed a rope, but damaged it. They need to make their neighbor whole, and besides, the town really needs to own a rope and 60 ft of its length are still good. Expenditure of $5 to buy the rope, approved.
November 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
New town problems! From the Takoma Park council minutes, Dec. 2, 1901. The town borrowed a rope, but damaged it. They need to make their neighbor whole, and besides, the town really needs to own a rope and 60 ft of its length are still good. Expenditure of $5 to buy the rope, approved.
DC Water is studying ways of making the region's drinking water system more resilient, including better governance and protection for the Potomac, recycling water from Blue Plains, and building new emergency reservoirs. www.dcwater.com/about-dc-wat...
DC Water Unveils Pure Water DC: A Bold Vision to Strengthen Resilience and Secure a Second Source of Water | DC Water
www.dcwater.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:50 PM
DC Water is studying ways of making the region's drinking water system more resilient, including better governance and protection for the Potomac, recycling water from Blue Plains, and building new emergency reservoirs. www.dcwater.com/about-dc-wat...
A neat way to indicate the scale on a map. From the 1:62,500 topographic map of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area. U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Surveyed 1885–1886 and 1895–1897, edition of July 1900, reprinted June 1914. Via NOAA Historical Map and Chart Collection.
November 19, 2025 at 10:11 PM
A neat way to indicate the scale on a map. From the 1:62,500 topographic map of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area. U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Surveyed 1885–1886 and 1895–1897, edition of July 1900, reprinted June 1914. Via NOAA Historical Map and Chart Collection.
I think that having an "entrepreneurial mindset" in international relations is called "hiring out as a mercenary."
There is some kind of proposal to change the entire American University curriculum to reduce the size of majors and generally make all undergrad degrees like a business school degree, but dumber and spackled with AI. More to be hashed out in a "90-day sprint."
November 19, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I think that having an "entrepreneurial mindset" in international relations is called "hiring out as a mercenary."
There is some kind of proposal to change the entire American University curriculum to reduce the size of majors and generally make all undergrad degrees like a business school degree, but dumber and spackled with AI. More to be hashed out in a "90-day sprint."
November 19, 2025 at 5:07 PM
There is some kind of proposal to change the entire American University curriculum to reduce the size of majors and generally make all undergrad degrees like a business school degree, but dumber and spackled with AI. More to be hashed out in a "90-day sprint."
Yes, they were fighter aircraft, I think 6× F/A–18s, though I only caught a glimpse of twin tails and no other details. No, DC is not being attacked, it's the orange lunatic playing with his toys. Yes, this is dumb, I know.
November 18, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Yes, they were fighter aircraft, I think 6× F/A–18s, though I only caught a glimpse of twin tails and no other details. No, DC is not being attacked, it's the orange lunatic playing with his toys. Yes, this is dumb, I know.
Ah yes, another bike rack that was designed by someone who had never seen a bicycle before, just read descriptions of them written by small, innumerate children.
November 17, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Ah yes, another bike rack that was designed by someone who had never seen a bicycle before, just read descriptions of them written by small, innumerate children.
Euclidian Zoning, as in Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. zoning, is structured in a remarkably complicated way.
November 17, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Euclidian Zoning, as in Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. zoning, is structured in a remarkably complicated way.
What is this.
You wake up. Clinton? 9/11? iTunes? Epstein? Your friend is pounding on the door of your walkup in Belltown. You missed your shift at Bauhaus Books and Soundgarden is on at 9.
November 17, 2025 at 3:11 PM
What is this.
The line isn't wrong. Might be missing one adjective.
November 17, 2025 at 3:08 PM
The line isn't wrong. Might be missing one adjective.
Thinking about design education. It isn't about "portfolio schools" and "process schools" anymore, if it ever was. A design program's purpose falls along a scale—aiming to *prepare students for professional practice*, or working to *advance the state of practice*.
November 16, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Thinking about design education. It isn't about "portfolio schools" and "process schools" anymore, if it ever was. A design program's purpose falls along a scale—aiming to *prepare students for professional practice*, or working to *advance the state of practice*.
Learned that, in the 2000s, the Historic American Engineering Record worked with the US Maritime Administration to document some important ships within the US reserve fleets. www.loc.gov/item/tx1092/
November 15, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Learned that, in the 2000s, the Historic American Engineering Record worked with the US Maritime Administration to document some important ships within the US reserve fleets. www.loc.gov/item/tx1092/
Looks as if the Fenty for Mayor campaign is kicking off, over on Adams Mill Road.
November 14, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Looks as if the Fenty for Mayor campaign is kicking off, over on Adams Mill Road.
I'm struck that, more than most buildings, large modern theatres really are machines, machines for moving scenery and curtains around and throwing light on them. (This is a plan of the basement of the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago — it's mostly hydraulic lifts.)
November 14, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I'm struck that, more than most buildings, large modern theatres really are machines, machines for moving scenery and curtains around and throwing light on them. (This is a plan of the basement of the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago — it's mostly hydraulic lifts.)
I like the idea of US states that are built around watersheds, in some romantic sense, but the notion really only works west of the Appalachians, and it's arbitrary even then. (Why wouldn't the Roanoke River get a state?)
November 14, 2025 at 10:03 PM
I like the idea of US states that are built around watersheds, in some romantic sense, but the notion really only works west of the Appalachians, and it's arbitrary even then. (Why wouldn't the Roanoke River get a state?)
The "very bad" design, with the most light pollution? The Washington Globe streetlights follow that pattern, because the shape is historic and NCPC insists that we should keep it.
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
November 14, 2025 at 7:57 PM
The "very bad" design, with the most light pollution? The Washington Globe streetlights follow that pattern, because the shape is historic and NCPC insists that we should keep it.
Well, Canada is no longer measles-free. (Also, I don't know how to spell "measles," because I'VE NEVER HAD TO USE THE WORD BEFORE, fecking antivax goons.)
Canada loses measles elimination status after ongoing outbreaks
International health experts say Canada is no longer measles-free because of ongoing outbreaks, as childhood vaccination rates fall and the highly contagious virus spreads across North and South Ameri...
apnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Well, Canada is no longer measles-free. (Also, I don't know how to spell "measles," because I'VE NEVER HAD TO USE THE WORD BEFORE, fecking antivax goons.)
Observations from an MLA program: people in the architectural professions have no sense of viewing distance or the scale of paper. School pin-ups instill bad habits, and looking at PDFs on-screen makes the problem worse.
November 7, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Observations from an MLA program: people in the architectural professions have no sense of viewing distance or the scale of paper. School pin-ups instill bad habits, and looking at PDFs on-screen makes the problem worse.
I should probably have said "light rail cars." (What's light rail? It's an interurban that was built after 1972.)
Purple Line streetcars will begin test runs on tracks from College Park Metro to the east, later in November, extending into the UMD campus in January. view.email.umd.edu?qs=3fa1b3ab6...
University of Maryland
view.email.umd.edu
November 7, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I should probably have said "light rail cars." (What's light rail? It's an interurban that was built after 1972.)
Purple Line streetcars will begin test runs on tracks from College Park Metro to the east, later in November, extending into the UMD campus in January. view.email.umd.edu?qs=3fa1b3ab6...
University of Maryland
view.email.umd.edu
November 6, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Purple Line streetcars will begin test runs on tracks from College Park Metro to the east, later in November, extending into the UMD campus in January. view.email.umd.edu?qs=3fa1b3ab6...
Craft is dead.
this looks like a trick daffy duck would put up to get bugs bunny into "the oval office"
November 5, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Craft is dead.
NYC will be getting a mayor who understands traffic safety—that the design of streets and what vehicles people drive both matter.
Two years ago I interviewed a 31-year-old NY state assemblymember about a 7-year-old girl killed by an SUV driver in his district. I hung up the phone, astonished that I'd talked to a legislator who so thoughtfully articulated what actually needs to change on our streets.
He'll make a great mayor
He'll make a great mayor
November 5, 2025 at 8:32 PM
NYC will be getting a mayor who understands traffic safety—that the design of streets and what vehicles people drive both matter.