DC is the capitol of the most powerful nation on earth, of course everything everywhere is going to be developed. It also has a major case of urban sprawl, as well as a major case of urbanity. But at least one complements the other. Here one doesn't do anything for the other which is why we have been stagnant for the past 35 years. Suburbs haven't gotten any stronger, if only a little for the influx of Detroiters while Detroit has depopulated. We live in stagnation because the world needs strong urban centers, not haphazardly strung together suburban cores [[Southfield, Troy, Royal Oak, Dearborn) around a suffering urban wastleland.

And your photo is ridiclous. Woodward would be developed within 30 years and the streetcar would still be there. Then what? 1956. Take a drive down Woodward in the city today, pretty pathetic. I hate to envision what would have happened if we just kept and upgraded the streetcar line, probably a functional urban main street.