The projects for Tandon Honors students in the Global Leaders & Scholars in STEM program consists of a culmination of various experiences, research, and interests related to the Tandon Areas of Research Excellence. Scholars are also required to address the NAE Grand Challenges and think about the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals when doing so. At the end of the 3 years in the GLASS Program, students have a better understanding of the impact they can have on changing the world for the better. GLASS students enter the world as globally competent and socially responsible innovators and engineers!

This research paper explores the complex relationship between historic districts, preservation sustainability paradoxes, and the perpetuation of White affluence in Washington, D.C. The author, a 5th-generation Washingtonian, delves into the historical and cultural significance of the capital, known as Chocolate City as the first super-majority Black major US city. Despite its rich Black history, the city grapples with ongoing land use and spatial injustices partially rooted in an extensive history of segregationist and undemocratic urban planning. Covering nearly 20% of the city’s properties, this paper analyzes DC’s abundance of historically designated properties and districts through their relationship to White affluence and placemaking. While historic preservationists argue for the educational, cultural, and economic benefits, critics assert that these districts are prone to real-estate hoarding, touristify the city, and reinforce historical biases while impeding progress toward equitable and sustainable land use. Against the backdrop of the 21st-century housing crisis and the need to create more climate-sustainable and just cities, this paper examines the tensions between safeguarding urban identity from exploitative development patterns while addressing the needs for adaptive, sustainable, and equitable cities. Inspired by meta-analytical literature on the prevalence of white normativity in urban planning, the author aims to critically explore how historic preservation in DC perpetuates White affluence, exclusive placemaking, and environmental privileges while proposing potential strategies to combat these issues at various levels.