101 Few US cities are as steeped in historical memory as Washington, DC. Yet, DC’s population is increasing faster now than at any time since the 1950s. Data from the 2020 US Census revealed that it is the country’s seventh-fastest-growing city, burgeoning at a rate twice the national average. To keep the city livable for all, the district is looking at how to preserve its heritage while guiding growth and change. Navigating this tension is a key goal of the DC Office of Planning. Guided by modern tools, including a digital twin powered by GIS technology, the agency is striking a balance between preservation and growth. Planners map and model proposed changes while keeping the communities informed. Development is not evenly distributed within the city. The adjoining Cleveland Park and Woodley Park neighborhoods are growing at one-third the rate of the city overall. Their current restrictive zoning and added layer of preservation requirements hamper development. The two neighborhoods are part of a region of DC that city planners call Rock Creek West planning area. It covers over 10 percent of the city—everything west of Rock Creek Park and the National Zoo—but contains just 1 percent of the city’s dedicated affordable housing units. This imbalance resonates across the city. “Because Rock Creek West has not really contributed to increased development and growth in the district over the last few decades, it puts pressure on other neighborhoods to absorb this demand, causing more areas to become less attainable,” said Heba ElGawish, a planner with the DC Office of Planning. To create a more welcoming DC, the district set a goal of adding 36,000 new housing units, including 12,000 affordable units by 2025, with specific targets for each of the district’s 10 planning areas. The Office of Planning worked to embed these goals in the district’s Comprehensive Plan by adopting new land use designations near transit stations and along major corridors, including Connecticut Avenue corridor that crosses Cleveland Park and Woodley Park. In Washington, DC, Planners Envision More Housing in Historic Districts Planning and Designing Better Communities Urban planners in Washington, DC, seek to increase affordable housing and revitalize commercial areas in two of the city’s historic districts.
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