Volume I District Elements Chapter 1 Introduction 1 2 CHAPteR 1: IntRODUctiON THE COMPRE H ENSIVE PLAN FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL: DISTRICT ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS Introduction 1 Planning an Inclusive City 100 ashington, d.c. is one of the great cities of the world. It is the Wnation’s capital, a global center of knowledge and power, and the central city of one of America’s largest and most prosperous metropolitan areas. It is “Growing inclusively also our home—a city of great neighborhoods, a vibrant downtown, historic means that individuals buildings, diverse shopping, renowned institutions, and magnificent parks and families are not and natural areas. 100.1 confined to particular Our city bears the imprints of many past plans, each a reflection of the goals economic and geographic and visions of its era. The influence of these plans can be seen all around us—they affect the way we live and work, the way we travel, and the design boundaries but are of our communities. Planning is part of our heritage. It has shaped the able to make important District’s identity for more than two centuries and has made us the place choices—choices about we are today. 100.2 where they live, how and The fact that we are a mature city does not mean it is time to stop planning where they earn a living, and just let the future happen. In fact, the need for planning has never been how they get around the greater than it is today. 100.3 city, and where their The District is changing. At this moment, more housing is under construction in the District of Columbia than was built during the entire decade of the children go to school. 1990s. Enough office space to replicate downtown Denver is on the drawing Growing inclusively boards. Federal properties—some larger in land area than all of Georgetown also means that every or Anacostia—are being studied for new uses. These changes generate excitement and tension at the same time. Issues of race, class, and equity rise resident can make these to the surface as the city grows. We strive to be a more “inclusive” city—to choices—regardless of ensure that economic opportunities reach all of our residents, and to protect whether they have lived and conserve the things we value most about our communities. 100.4 here for generations or As we think about our future, other issues arise. How will people get around moved here last week, the city in 20 years? Where will our children go to school? Will police and fire services be adequate? Will our rivers be clean? Will our air be healthy? How and regardless of their will we resolve the affordable housing crisis and ensure that housing choices race, income, or age.” are available for all residents? How can we ensure that District residents have access to the thousands of new jobs we are expecting? How will the character — A Vision for Growing An of our neighborhoods be conserved and improved? How will federal and local Inclusive City, 2004 interests be balanced? 100.5 This Comprehensive Plan provides our response to these important questions and a framework to achieve our goals. 100.6 The Comprehensive Plan includes detailed maps and policies for the physical development of the District of Columbia. The Plan also addresses social and economic issues that affect and are linked to the development of the city and INTRODUCTION 1-1 CITYWIDE ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS 1 Planning in the District—Then And Now Washington, D.C. is widely known as a city renewal.” The mid-century Comprehensive Plans steeped in American history. This reputation were largely driven by federal interests and a extends to city planning too, and starts with desire to retain the beauty and functionality of the very origin of the District of Columbia in Washington as a capital city. 100.10 1791. 100.7 In 1973, the federal Home Rule Act designated More than two centuries ago, George Washington the Mayor of the District of Columbia as the commissioned Pierre L’Enfant to plan a new city’s principal planner. The Comprehensive national capital on the banks of the Potomac and Plan was divided into “District” Elements to be Anacostia Rivers. L’Enfant prepared by the District’s Office of and surveyor Benjamin Planning, and “Federal” Elements Banneker designed to be prepared by the National Washington’s unique Capital Planning Commission diagonal and grid system (NCPC). The first Comprehensive and sited some of America’s Plan of the post-Home Rule era, most important landmarks, containing both District and including the U.S. Capitol Federal Elements, was completed and the White House. 100.8 in 1984. 100.11 A century later, the Between 1984 and 2005, the US Congress asked the District Elements were amended McMillan Commission to four times. A 1985 amendment The 1791 L’Enfant Plan transform Washington added the Land Use Element and into a world-class capital city. The Commission Maps. The 1989 and 1994 amendments added responded with a grand plan to beautify Ward Plans to the document, roughly tripling the District with the National Mall, many its size. The 1998 amendments included a neighborhood parks, and an expanded Rock Creek variety of map and text changes to reflect then- Park. 100.9 current conditions. A new version of the Federal Elements, meanwhile, was prepared by NCPC in Today, the L’Enfant and McMillan Plans are the early 2000s and approved in 2004. 100.12 regarded as major milestones in Washington’s history. The plans of the mid- to late- 20th During the past six years, the District has moved century are less celebrated, but are no less into a new era of urban planning, headlined important. In 1924, federal legislation created by neighborhood plans, corridor studies, the National Capital Park and Planning the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, and the Commission. Its initial focus was on city parks citywide “Vision for Growing an Inclusive City.” and playgrounds but soon expanded to include The Vision is emblematic of a new philosophy land use, transportation, and public facilities. about planning in the city, which has been The Commission produced a Comprehensive Plan carried forward into this Comprehensive Plan. in 1950, another in 1961, and another in 1967. The plan’s overriding emphasis is on improving These plans proposed radical changes to the the quality of life for current and future city’s landscape, including freeways and “urban residents of the District of Columbia. 100.13 1-2 THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL: DISTRICT ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS CITYWIDE ELEMENTS 1 our citizens. It allows the community to predict and understand the course of future public actions and shape private sector investment and actions too. It allows the District to ensure that its resources are A Revised Plan is Needed used wisely and efficiently and that public investment is focused in From 1985 to 2005, a the areas where it is needed most. 100.14 Comprehensive Plan drafted in The Comprehensive Plan provides guidance on the choices necessary the early 1980s governed land use to make the District a better city. No single person or organization decisions in the District. By the is in a position to make these decisions alone. Many residents, early 2000s, it was becoming clear that the Comp Plan was out of date. governmental agencies, businesses, institutions, and leaders have The “future”—as envisioned by the helped shape this plan. Their continued commitment will be needed Plan—was already history. 102.3 to carry it out in the coming years. 100.15 In 2003, a Citizens’ Task Force, appointed by the Mayor and DC The Comprehensive Plan’s Legal Council, completed an assessment of the existing Plan. As a result Basis, Role and Content 101 of the assessment, the Office of Planning recommended that the Legislative Foundation 102 Comprehensive Plan be thoroughly revised, not just amended. The The DC Code vests the Mayor with the authority to initiate, develop Task Force concluded that the and submit a Comprehensive Plan to the DC Council, as well as the plan was outdated, difficult to power to propose amendments following the plan’s adoption. In the read and understand, lacked course of adoption, the DC Council may alter the Comprehensive maps and graphics, and did not Plan, subject to the approval of the Mayor and review by the provide the direction needed National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and Congress. 102.1 to address the tough issues facing our city today. 102.4 Because of the District’s role as the nation’s capital, the Comprehensive Plan includes two components: the Federal Based on this assessment, the Elements, which address federal lands and facilities, and the District Mayor and Council agreed to move Elements, which address all other lands. Together, ahead with a major revision of these elements constitute the District’s mandated planning the Comprehensive Plan, rather documents. 102.2 than starting another round of piecemeal amendments. It was Section 1-301.62 of the DC Code states that: time for an in-depth analysis of (t)he purposes of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan existing conditions and trends, and a fresh look at the city’s for the National Capital are to: future. It was also time to reach a. Define the requirements and aspirations of District residents, out to thousands of DC residents and accordingly influence social, economic and physical to raise awareness of why the development; Comprehensive Plan is important to the city’s future and to the daily b.