102 Cleveland Park potential development opportunities and streetscape improvements - looking north from Uptown Theatre. (Image courtesy of the DC Office of Planning) Managing Growth in Historic Districts Cleveland Park and Woodley Park were once rural, dotted with large estates. A remnant of Rosedale, the largest, is the oldest home in DC. Cleveland Park derives its name from an estate owned by President Grover Cleveland. In the late 19th century, the opening of the Rock Creek Railway along Connecticut Avenue connected the region with the rest of DC. These trains ushered in the steady urbanization of the area culminating with the arrival of the subway in 1981. New stations along Connecticut Avenue brought DC Metro trains to Cleveland Park and Woodley Park. The arrival of Metro catalyzed efforts among residents to protect the area from further development. In 1987, the city’s Historic Preservation Review Board certified Cleveland Park a historic district. Woodley Park followed three years later. “The two commercial areas were downzoned as a result,” ElGawish said. “The neighborhoods got locked into the built environment they already had.” Now, the District of Columbia’s Comprehensive Plan argues that Metro stops, including Cleveland Park and Woodley Park, are optimal sites for transit-oriented development. “Given this proximity to high-capacity transit as well as parks and civic amenities, they are ideal for accommodating more housing and more jobs,” ElGawish said. Smart City Planning ElGawish and her colleagues examined high-capacity transit corridors like Connecticut Avenue and amended future land use to allow for denser development. Some sections previously designated only for low-density commercial buildings now also allow for medium-to-high-density residential development. For ElGawish and others in the DC Office of Planning, their location-enabled digital twin helps them understand challenges, craft solutions, and communicate ideas to the community. Using ArcGIS Urban, they can simulate how proposed changes would alter a neighborhood’s character. “It’s an opportunity to visualize different land use and development scenarios, especially in historic districts, where design is a major component of what we’re trying to achieve,” ElGawish said. The digital twin is just as helpful when considering changes that impact commercial zoning. Cleveland Park and Woodley Park have strict caps on the number of restaurants allowed. GIS lets planners visualize and analyze how relaxing these requirements would affect these stretches of Connecticut Avenue. “It can be helpful to generate development scenarios, look at the breakdown of market rate and affordable housing, and test how different massing and height configurations impact those numbers.” — Heba ElGawish, planner, DC Office of Planning The team also uses GIS to design changes that draw attention to overlooked areas. ElGawish noted that although the National Zoo abuts the commercial districts on Connecticut Avenue, the businesses there receive very little foot traffic from zoogoers. She and her colleagues use GIS to consider signage placement and streetscape changes that increase awareness of these areas.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA2NTE0Mw==