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David Ramos

@imagineterrain.bsky.social
1.2K followers 889 following 2.2K posts

Designer/design educator in Washington, D.C. Making maps/systems to help us imagine landscapes past + future. Lost streams, hydrographic history, 🚲🛶🌊 imaginaryterrain.com

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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 23h
My college did some things well, including deciding to eliminate Greek life when it admitted women in the late 60s, as part of a series of reforms.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A thing of beauty.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
In the woods just above Piney Branch, a colony of snakeroot, flourishing in the area burned by a brushfire a couple of years ago.
White flower
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Interesting grade problems going on with this Dupont circle bioretention. (It's definitely designed to accept rainwater; someone came through and cut scuppers in the curbs between planter and sidewalk.)
Planter with mound of dirt and curbs at all levels
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
New apartment buildings on the way in Adams Morgan—all of these in Reed-Cooke, except for the SunTrust Plaza building, which is finally scheduled to break ground next year. dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...
dc.urbanturf.com
From Mansion Conversion To SunTrust Plaza: The 280 Units Coming To Adams Morgan And Mount Pleasant
The past year has been one of progress for the residential pipeline in Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Periodic reminder that a typology is a study of types, not a word that means the same thing as "type" but with extra syllables so you seem smarter. No one building is a typology, though Greenfield Village, Skansen, and the National Park Seminary might count as typologies.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A Canadian flag flying over a very tall rowhouse in Adams Morgan that's long hoisted flags that seem to symbolize protest and celebration.
Church tower, house flying Canadian Flag
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A fine drift of asters and goldenrod (I think, white wood aster and wreath goldenrod) in a shady spot at American University.
white and yellow flowers
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Not a hiring shibboleth, but I have had interviews derailed by (a) the CTO coming on the PA and telling everyone to unplug everything immediately b/c he installed a worm; and (b) an early 2020 campus visit where we had to stop my job talk b/c the university shut down for Covid (got the job!).
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
An occasional series about interesting words. From the Foreign Service to Sanborn maps: persillade, orchard ladder, crush block, packout, fall zone, highwater houses, and paster. imaginaryterrain.com/archive/word...
imaginaryterrain.com
David Ramos / Words I like, orchard ladders and crush blocks
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I'm particularly appreciating the houseplants in this railway grade crossing keeper's cabin, show in a 1968 Swiss short documentary.
Railroad grade crossing cabinCrossing keeper and plantsPlants and windowPlants and cabin interior
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I see this going well.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
One thing to add to the fulmination about Metro's wayfinding redesign: removing the line-color stripes from pylons in the name of accessibility is a misread of the stripes' role. They're not functional, they're a joyful touch, decoration that has a link to the working world, no more, no less.
Redesigned station pylon with colored discs instead of stripes
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
There's a lot to dislike about the new Metro signage, but the kerning is the most gratuitous. WMATA says they're aiming for accessibility, that they've dropped Helvetica Bold in favor of medium because of halation, but then you kern the glyphs so tightly they're touching?
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Trying photogrammetry with Apple's Object Capture API. Needed to build example code in xCode, but this is the output from a quick test, starting with. 20 photos (couldn't even step onto the site). Took maybe a minute to run.
3d model of building and garden3d model
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Flood barriers are up at Washington Harbour. www.reddit.com/r/washington...
reddit.com
From the washingtondc community on Reddit: Georgetown waterfront flood barriers
Explore this post and more from the washingtondc community
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
My coop chose new colors for our shared spaces, and the debate was between people seeking gray (younger, with an eye toward resale value) and those who wanted more vibrant choices (older and intending to stay). I'd observe, too, that there's been a collapse in pattern and polychromy.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Visited the beginning of the Potomac River Tunnel during DC Water's open house on Sunday. (Got to see the back end of the tunnel boring machine on its way north, following the river toward Georgetown.)
CraneBasket on craneMaterials transporter in tunnelTunnel with ducts and pipes
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The City of Baltimore's reservoirs are still low because of the drought, and DPW plans to draw water from the Susquehanna through a supplemental supply system. content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MDB...
content.govdelivery.com
DPW prepares to use supplemental water source as drought conditions continue
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"Run club": a running club that has more than the 75th percentile number of matching sets.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The morning safety briefing on the Piney Branch CSO tunnel site.
Workers in circle, trees, construction equipment
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
A DC Public Library bicycle library cart. www.popville.com/2026/09/supe...
popville.com
SUPER COOL: DCPL Mobile/Cycle Library!! - PoPville
Thanks to JP for sending this super cool sighting in Dupont Circle: "Best idea evah!" DC Public Library - Library on the GO GO Anyone else ever spotted this elsewhere around town? Awesome.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A drift of Erigeron canadensis at Glenstone, seeds wafting up in the breeze and floating through the meadow.
White and yellow flowers
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I only very rarely take the elevator at Woodley Park Metro—little reason to and it's a long wait. I took it this week, and saw that WMATA's installed a display screen showing the car position and wait times, good for managing expectations.
Screen by escalatorScreen by escalator
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
A meadow in Dumbarton Oaks Park. Originally designed by Beatrix Farrand and maintained with a light touch—this area may have seen a restoration led by LWLA, though that project might've stopped a little down-slope.
Fall flowers, trees
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This season saw the commissioning of real-time water quality network for the Potomac basin, but the sondes couldn't monitor bacteria. Now, Anacostia Riverkeeper is installing three real-time bacteria sensors, in partnership w. Xylem and Virridy. www.anacostiariverkeeper.org/virridy-real...
anacostiariverkeeper.org
Real-Time Monitoring Brings Us Closer Than Ever to Swimming in the Anacostia - Anacostiariverkeeper.org
Real-Time Monitoring Brings Us Closer Than Ever to Swimming in the Anacostia For generations, swimming in the Anacostia River was not just discouraged; it was prohibited. The District’s swim ban, […]
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Baltimore's council and mayor look to create a new Dept. of Neighborhood Safety, parallel to police and fire, to handle non-life-threatening 911 calls and continue the city's crime diversion programs. archive.ph/fdnmp
archive.ph
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Reposted by David Ramos
toMake @tomake.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
Monoprint. Stone lithograph, ink & relief chine-collé print on Kozo & Sakamoto papers. Milk and Missouri Rivers, Nashua Montana, Township & Range #toMake #printmaking #aRealPlace #T+R #lithograph #relief
Stone lithograph, ink & relief chine-collé print on Kozo & Sakamoto papers.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The flawed pursuit of utopias is a very New England endeavor. The concluding graf in this piece is good. Margaret Cerullo, a sociology professor, has the last word: a utopia is "a place where you can imagine that the world could be different." thebaffler.com/latest/class...
thebaffler.com
Class Dismissed | Hannah Gais
Private liberal arts schools were never going to kickstart the revolution. But the closure of Hampshire College further narrows the political imaginary.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
BirdCast, by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, estimates the nightly flight of migrating birds. They figure on 370,000 birds in the air tonight, and estimate that 6,100 have crossed Maryland so far. (Turn out unnecessary outdoor lights!!!) dashboard.birdcast.org/region/US-MD
dashboard.birdcast.org
Maryland - Migration Dashboard - BirdCast
Explore nightly migration data in your region
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
It's always worth paying attention to what Radley Balko says about civil liberties. He reminds us that America's authoritarian turn started with 9/11—after that awful day, leaders gave in to fear and built a lawless national security apparatus that now haunts us all. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Civil Libertarians Knew This Would Happen. We Should Have Listened. (Gift Article)
The civil libertarians’ warnings have come true.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
@wmatagm.bsky.social Excited to see the new wayfinding system! One minor issue on the rollout announcement page: the "Rail information groupings" section includes a sign for "Downton Largo"—that sounds like an exciting series reboot, but it's a typo for the station name.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Metro is rolling out a new wayfinding system, aimed at improving passenger's mental maps of the rail network, providing directions to exits and destinations, and easing maintenace. www.wmata.com/initiatives/...
wmata.com
Wayfinding Improvements | WMATA
Metro is introducing a new Metro Rail wayfinding system designed to make traveling clearer and more consistent. It has been carefully designed to honor the legacy our region inherited 50 years ago.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Along the wide, rocky channel of the Susquehanna River below the Holtwood Dam.
River and boatFlowers
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Reposted by David Ramos
Theo Honohan @theohonohan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Typography, on the other hand
Screenshot of a bold pull quote with mojibake: "Photography is not difficult—as long as you have something to say."
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
One of my favorite restaurants has redone its menu with gen AI images. They’ve put care into refining the output, but the food still makes my skin crawl. It’s the excessively precise repetitive patterns of noodles and nodules, resting in one layer like a skin of fungus.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
MARC is starting through-service between the Brunswick and Camden Lines—one morning train starts in Brunswick and runs through to Baltimore, and one evening train returns. www.mta.maryland.gov/Brunswick-Ca...
mta.maryland.gov
MARC Schedule Change and New Through Service: Brunswick & Camden Lines | Maryland Transit Administration
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Reposted by David Ramos
Neil Flanagan 🧱🗃️ @jgbollard.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
The Washington Post's article about the White House deep bunker claims it is "50'-60'" deep and also "in bedrock," which doesn't match public geological data. I drive the issue until refusal with an addendum at the end of my post: www.thebirthofacapital.info/trumps-bunker/
geological map of central DC, showing the depth of bedrock below the surface, in hatches. the white house is estimated to have bedrock between 50-60' below surface.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
It's time to scrub the crabs. www.instagram.com/p/DbW2p0hmaZ-/
instagram.com
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Love the seedheads on these grasses on a vacant lot in Zagreb, in a former industrial area a few blocks from one of the city's main rail lines. imaginaryterrain.com/archive/zagr...
imaginaryterrain.com
David Ramos / Off the Ulica Baltazara Bogišća
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
D.C. Municipal Regulations § 24–1003, Coal Deliveries. You get an hour to shift soft coal; two hours for hard.
1003​COAL DELIVERIES
 
1003.1​Coal may be deposited on a lot or square for removal to abutting premises, in accordance with the provisions of this section.
 
1003.2​Removal of coal to abutting premises shall be made within one (1) hour of deposit in the case of bituminous or "soft" coal; and within two (2) hours, in the case of anthracite or "hard" coal.
 
1003.3​Coal shall be deposited and placed in such manner as to leave a clear passageway for vehicles at all times.
 
1003.4​Bituminous or soft coal shall be made sufficiently wet before and immediately after being deposited to prevent any part of it being blown about.
 
​SOURCE: Article 3, §1 of the Police Regulations (May 1981).
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Also noted, near Munich: a practice of converting sandpits into swimming lakes, which must surely have been welcome in this sweltering summer.
Turquoise water and countrysideVillage and beach
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Hard edges between villages/suburbs and agricultural land near Munich.
Fields and a villageSuburbs with fields in between
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Glad that the US Coast Guard got representation in today's DC flyovers. Fixed-wing SAR aircraft are an asset that I can truly celebrate.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Twenty-five years on, I think that the Wire is the greater masterpiece, and it remains a powerful rumination on America broadly, but Homicide is the stronger expression of Baltimore—it captures the city with more care and has aged better. Also, the acting and writing are extraordinary.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
I'm in DC, and I'm lucky to have Capital Weather (Gang), which brings a layer of interpretation. We do know that the core science operations behind forecasting are rotting/DOGE'd, in the US.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
There are boats selling barbecue, ice cream, and snowballs out on Maryland waters. www.thebanner.com/opinion/colu...
thebanner.com
Hutzell: Maryland food trucks head out onto the Chesapeake Bay
COLUMN | Food trucks are going where few have dared before — out on the Chesapeake Bay. In boat-loving Maryland, this had to happen eventually.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Consumer Reports tested electric scooters and simply does not recommend any of them b/c of injury rates, incl. injuries suffered by the testers. www.consumerreports.org/cars/electri...
consumerreports.org
We Tested 13 Electric Scooters. We Don’t Recommend Any. - Consumer Reports
CR doesn't recommend e-scooters because of their high speeds and rising injury rates. Two of CR's testers sustained injuries while evaluating e-scooters, too.
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Couldn't we just offer them up as sacrificial lambs, entirely independent of what we think about AI?
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David Ramos @imagineterrain.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
DDOT is testing cool pavement as a material for reducing urban heat island effects, installing light-colored sealants in five areas around the city. coolcorridors.ddot.dc.gov
coolcorridors.ddot.dc.gov
Cool Corridors
Learn more about the Cool Corridors program in the District of Columbia.
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