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Happy Black History Month from the Office of Planning (OP)! Be sure to check out our Commemorative Work Spotlight and Data Corner below as we honor the past and ongoing achievements of Black Washingtonians.
Also in this newsletter, we share information about OP’s Racial Equity Action Plan and a public life study at 14th and U Streets NW among many other great topics.
Sincerely,
Anita Cozart
Director, DC Office of Planning
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OP uses public life studies to analyze and understand how people use streets, plazas, and other public spaces to inform policy, regulations, and public space design. To see how the Office of Planning is working toward a vibrant public life to promote health, safety, civic engagement, economic opportunity, and connected communities view our completed Public Life Studies and the Public Life in DC Storymap.
Visit the recently released 14th and U Street, NW: Public Life Assessment Storymap to view the findings and recommendations for how we can celebrate the Black identity, culture, and enterprise of the neighborhood and promote racial equity through design of the plaza, sidewalks and buildings.
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Last month, we launched a series on combatting displacement which discussed the three forces of displacement (physical, economic, and cultural), and presented national level research that attempted to identify where displacement happens. This month’s article will take a deeper dive into two places that have measured displacement pressure.
Montgomery County, Maryland and Seattle, Washington are two jurisdictions that have taken significant steps to identify the variety of conditions that lead to displacement pressures across neighborhoods. There are two basic elements: where do households who are more vulnerable to displacement pressures live; and what are the neighborhood and housing market conditions that create the pressure.
Montgomery County, Maryland’s analysis of Neighborhood Change in the Washington Metropolitan Area looks at how neighborhoods change and the factors that can lead to better outcomes. The study, which updated and refined the University of Minnesota’s displacement study drew two important conclusions. First, the right conditions can lead to an increase in both higher and lower income households, an outcome the county called inclusive growth. Second, inclusive growth cannot happen without adding more housing. Montgomery County concluded that “building more housing is key to preventing displacement and poverty concentration, and fostering socio-economically inclusive communities.”
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Seattle, Washington’s 2035 Equity Analysis (completed as part of its 2016 Comprehensive Plan) looked at 25 different metrics to identify the areas where displacement pressures are greatest and where they overlap with areas that provide access to opportunity. This analysis was an important component in developing Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) which addresses not only housing but economic mobility, cultural assets, transportation, health, and access across neighborhoods. The initiative lays out a framework for targeting resources in neighborhoods, depending on the risks and opportunities they face.
Seattle’s Equitable Development Strategies by Neighborhood Category
 Seattle's and Montgomery County’s approaches demonstrate the need to understand displacement pressures for both future and current residents. It is equally important to understand how the right combination of housing, land use, and economic development policies and programs can generate affordable housing and avoid displacement. That is the topic of next month’s article in this series.
If you are aware of any other emerging practices for measuring displacement that you’d like to share, please email us at Planning@dc.gov or call us at 202-442-7600.
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The Streets for People Initiative temporarily retrofits downtown streets, alleys, sidewalks, curb space, and parks in ways that bring economic vitality back to Central Washington. In 2022, Streets for People events brought 110,000 people to the streets, sidewalks and parks of five neighborhoods across Central Washington. Watch this video for more highlights.
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OP would like to congratulate Marnique Heath, Chair of the Historic Preservation Review Board and member of DC’s Commemorative Works Committee, on induction into the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. AIA Fellows are recognized with the AIA’s highest honor for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. OP takes this opportunity to thank Chair Heath for her steadfast leadership in District’s preservation community and her commitment to ensuring all of our communities benefit equitably from great architecture and urbanism.
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As the nation’s capital, and as a city of neighborhoods and residents, with a local history of people, places and events deserving their own commemoration; Washington, DC is home to many Commemorative Works honoring individuals and events of national and local significance. This month, we are featuring the Duke Ellington statue in celebration of Black History Month.
The Duke Ellington statue is the focal point of a landscaped plaza near the front of the Howard Theatre at Florida Avenue and T Street NW. Born Edward Kennedy Ellington, “Duke” was born and raised in DC where he started taking piano lessons at the age of seven. During the 1920s, Ellington was an established regular with his own orchestra at New York City’s famous Cotton Club. His musical collaboration with fellow jazz legend Billy Strayhorn spanned more than three decades. He hit a second peak of popularity following an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in the 1950s. He died in 1974 shortly after his 75th birthday.
The sculpture, titled “Encore”, was created by DC native Zachary Oxman and depicts Ellington seated on a giant treble clef playing a curved piano. Oxman was commissioned to complete the piece by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
The Shaw/Uptown area of the District was chosen as the site of the statue because Ellington spent his childhood and early years of his career in the neighborhood. The adjacent Howard Theater is also an important location. In its heyday it was known for catering to an African-American clientele and played host to many of the great Black musical artists of the early and mid-twentieth century. Duke Ellington inaugurated a new era of jazz big bands on the Howard’s stage.
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Our team has developed tools to help residents visualize the look and feel of redevelopment of selected sites in the Rock Creek West Planning Area. View images for Wisconsin Avenue and Connecticut Avenue.
Learn more and get involved in our community planning projects:
 An example of the hypothetical scenarios illustrating different approaches to height and massing of potential future development in the Connecticut Avenue Development Guidelines study area.
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OP is looking to hire a Food Policy Director and a Human Resources Specialist to join our team. Learn more about the positions and apply today!
Food Policy Director (Open until filled)
Human Resources Specialist (Closing Date: 03/17/2023)
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