Urban Agenda: Washington, D.C. As Ranked by the Trust for Public Lands, 2015 City Park Facts Report, Washington D.C
Urban Agenda: Washington, D.C. As ranked by the Trust for Public Lands, 2015 City Park Facts report, Washington D.C. is second in the nation for its high percentage of parkland and open space across the city. What makes Washington, D.C. unique is that nearly 90% of all parkland in the District - more than 6,700 acres or 20% of the city land area, is under National Park Service’s jurisdiction. NPS parklands are scattered throughout the city with hundreds of local neighborhood parks and green space, as well as, several of the Nation's most visited, iconic, and historic sites, including the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, Rock Creek Park, and the White House. In 2010, the National Capital Planning Commission along with the Government of the District of Columbia and the National Park Service jointly established the CapitalSpace initiative to assess Washington’s parks and open spaces and develop strategies to, “create healthy and sustainable neighborhoods, enrich the capital city experience, and protect our natural, cultural, and historic resources.” One of the “Six Big Ideas” set forth in the CapitalSpace plan is to “transform small parks into successful public spaces” to addresses fundamental social, economic, environmental, and community needs. By focusing at the neighborhood scale, the NPS, city agencies, and partners can better serve local residents, particularly those traditionally marginalized and living in underserved neighborhoods in the Southeast quadrant of DC. One of the NPS park sites receiving focused attention is Shepherd Parkway, which is located within the Ward 8 neighborhood of Congress Heights in SE DC.
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