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As summer comes to an end, the Office of Planning (OP) has been busy making important progress on our priority projects, including work on Mayor Bowser’s bold housing goals. We are now gearing up for many milestones this fall and winter.
With the DC Council preparing for a final vote on the Framework Element of the Comprehensive Plan on September 17th, we have been working hard to update the remaining 24 elements and two maps. If Council passes the Framework bill in September, we plan to share the rest of the proposed amendments for public review in the fall.
We are also pushing forward on the Mayor's ambitious housing goals to advance housing affordability in the District. Our housing survey about equity and the distribution of housing opportunity closes today, so please take a moment to complete it if you have not taken it. As discussed below, we then look forward to a follow-up Community Conversation on the survey results and next steps on September 21st.
Lastly, we are excited to renew our focus on community planning. We plan to both support the implementation of existing plans as well as to update or create new community plans in neighborhoods that are facing change or ongoing barriers to vibrancy. You can read about our latest community planning product below, the Downtown East Re-Urbanization Strategy.
Stay tuned as future newsletters promise to be full of milestones and planning news. Please feel free to share with others, who can sign up here. In addition, you can follow our work on Twitter under @OPinDC.
Sincerely,
Andrew Trueblood
Director, DC Office of Planning
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Downtown East represents a true crossroads community in the bustling heart of the District, sitting at a point where the commercial vibrancy of Downtown meets the evolving residential/mixed use character of the Mt. Vernon Triangle and NoMA neighborhoods. It lies on the doorstep of Union Station, a primary gateway to the District, and is near major institutional hubs of the U.S. Capitol and Judiciary Square. It is also currently undergoing a rapid transition with several million square feet of new commercial development in the pipeline and a projected 33% increase in the number of residents within the next few years.
“As we continue to make strides toward improving and reactivating our city’s most prominent areas, we must be proactive and intentional in our investment towards equitable, inclusive and welcoming public places alongside private developments as they emerge,” said Mayor Bowser. “This Strategy for Downtown East builds upon that vision and celebrates the area’s rich social infrastructure and cultural history.”
Through the Downtown East Re-Urbanization Strategy, the Office of Planning (OP) helped establish a strategy to guide the development of a livable and vibrant neighborhood by better understanding how users experience the area and its public spaces today. Over the last few years, OP engaged closely with sister agencies, partners in the federal government, and community stakeholders, including the three area BIDs to come up with the following list of recommendations:
- Making Physical Connections: The Strategy envisions Downtown East as a neighborhood center that is intentionally connected to the surrounding communities by re-establishing routes across barriers created by I-395 freeway. Improved multi-modal connections will prioritize pedestrian and cyclists, as well as vehicular as appropriate.
- Enhancing Neighborhood Vitality: The Strategy provides recommendations to emphasize Downtown East’s position as a leading office market hub that will offer jobs and serve as a preeminent center for a rising knowledge hub and urban residential community.
- Shaping Places for People: The Strategy prioritizes places where people have ample access to parks and open spaces while still being near a comfortable, vibrant and active public realm.
Read more about the Downtown East Re-Urbanization Strategy or download the full plan at planning.dc.gov/downtown-east.
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The DC Office of Planning (OP) and DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) invite you to join a Community Conversation Saturday, September 21st from 1pm-3pm at Ron Brown High School. Doors open at 12:30pm.
We are excited to discuss the Mayor’s bold goal to build 36,000 new residential units by 2025, our plan to get there through the Housing Framework for Equity and Growth and hear from you about your vision for the District’s housing goals.
During the event, we will share findings from the community engagement activities over the summer and highlight the District’s approach to furthering fair housing. The event will consist of presentations from District agencies and ask residents to provide feedback through small group discussions.
This Community Conversation will be an opportunity for residents and organizations to learn about the Housing Framework for Equity and Growth, hear about our work over the summer, and engage with our findings from listening and surveying residents across the District.
Register to attend: https://tinyurl.com/9-21HousingDC
To learn more about the initiative, please visit: housingdc.dc.gov.
We are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, September 21st!
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As we gear up for public review of the remaining elements of the Comprehensive Plan, we want to ensure our ANCs have the background and tools to provide official feedback to OP. ANC Commissioners, check your email for registration information or contact deborahlcrain.kemp@dc.gov.
Re-Imagining Reeves Market Study – Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) on behalf of the Office of Planning (OP), is seeking proposals for a study of the U Street NW corridor's office, hotel, retail and residential market conditions, including District-owned properties for potential redevelopment.
The deadline for submission of proposals is Friday, September 6, 2019 at 2:00 PM ET.
More information on the Re-Imagining Reeves Market Study RFP available here.
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What do market forces, community dynamics, and public policies have in common? They all impact how and where new housing is produced in the District.
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