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Happy Pride Month from the Office of Planning (OP)! Check out Snapshots of DC’s LGBTQ+ History below. In June, we also celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month. See our photos under OP in the Community from DC’s Caribbean Concert celebration presented by the Mayor’s Office on Caribbean Community Affairs where OP was sharing information about plans for a new memorial honoring DC's Caribbean Carnival in Ward 4.
Sincerely,
Anita Cozart
Director, DC Office of Planning
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The DC Office of Planning’s Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP) outlines activities that our agency will take to reduce racial inequities and improve life for all Washingtonians. OP’s REAP is supported by Mayor Bowser’s Office of Racial Equity and is aligned with the Districtwide Racial Equity Action Plan. We appreciate the feedback of more than 100 community stakeholders who participated in surveys, focus groups and an open house event. The REAP will guide OP’s work from 2024 to 2026 and will be refined periodically to reflect progress and feedback.
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DC is home to many leaders, sites, and events that are important in LGBTQ+ history. In 2019, the Office of Planning produced a study that explored this history through themes like Activism, Arts, Health Advocacy, and Spirituality. The context study on DC’s LGBTQ+ history also identified key locations eligible for historic designation. Here are a few snapshots from that study.
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Lucy Diggs Slowe and Mary Burrill defied gender norms for women in the early 1900s by living together as companions. The two friends never publicly defined their relationship, but they devoted their lives to each other, and in the process, refused to be governed by society's expectations.
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Nob Hill Restaurant opened in 1953 to serve gay and bisexual Black men as an upscale private club. Nob Hill and nearby establishment Cozy Corner became sanctuaries for gay students at Howard University. When it closed it 2004, it may have been the oldest continuing Black and gay institution in the country!
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The Furies Collective was a group of 12 white lesbian women who named themselves after "the angry ones", "the avengers of matricide" in Greek mythology. They produced a newspaper that used writing and photography to spotlight the oppression of women.
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 OP invites community members in Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods to participate in events to create a vision and recommendations for an improved public realm in these neighborhoods. In Columbia Heights, OP will explore improving the look and feel of streets, sidewalks and plazas to support the needs of residents, visitors, street vendors, and business owners. In Mount Pleasant, OP will examine opportunities to establish a high-quality pedestrian experience on the neighborhood’s main street.
We will conduct two walking tours of the Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods on July 8th and 10th from 6-8PM. As we tour, we will stop at key locations and break out into discussion groups to hear what you enjoy about these areas, as well as what concerns or improvements you recommend. Spanish interpretation will be offered at both walking tours.
Visit the project website to learn more about this project and how you can participate and stay up to date.
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Commemorate DC, OP’s effort to honor the vibrant stories and profound impacts of Black Washingtonians and other people of color, kicked off a series of community engagement events in April when we announced the four subjects, sites and artists for new commemorative works in Wards 4, 5, 7 and 8.
View and share your feedback on the design concepts for the projects in Ward 4 and Ward 5.
Meet with the artists and designers as they reveal design concepts for the commemorations in Wards 7 and 8. Be a part of the creative process and share your feedback.
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Ward 7– July 13, 10 AM-12 PM, Deanwood Community Center
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Ward 8– July 13, 2-4 PM, Anacostia Arts Center
Visit publicinput.com/cwtap for more information on the subjects, sites, and details on the upcoming events.
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City Cast DC Host Bridget Todd will be joined by OP’s Director Anita Cozart and Community Planner Ebony Dumas for a chat about our recently released podcast mini-series, District Crossroads. We’ll discuss findings from District Crossroads’ interviews with neighbors along the North Capitol corridor, including how they want to see their community grow and improve while preserving its character .
Join us on July 13 at 2PM at metrobar to dive into how this area of the city has evolved as the District and residents plan for its future.
Reserve a spot at: City Cast DC Live Podcast Taping.
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OP invites community members to share feedback on the draft design guidelines for the Anacostia Historic District commercial corridor through Friday, August 30th.
The guidelines aim to assist residents, property owners, and developers in identifying the defining features of Anacostia's historic character and provides a framework for guiding the design of new construction additions and alterations along the Anacostia Historic District commercial corridor.
Review the guidelines and share your thoughts here.
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Lia Jackson comes to OP’s Archaeology team from Missouri where she is completing her BA in Psychological Sciences at University of Missouri - St Louis. As a student, she has been working with the Missouri Department of Mental Health and she is eager to leverage her skills and experience working for District Government, focusing on governmental relations and policy advocacy. Lia will assist with policy research concerning historic cemeteries and unmarked burying grounds and help with data management. |
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Sai Chebrolu, a rising junior at Washington & Lee University majoring in Politics, is joining OP’s Food Policy team as a Zero Hunger Intern. She will be focusing on food access among recent migrant communities, mapping existing resources and identifying policy gaps. |
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Coming Soon!
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The draft Ivy City Small Area Plan will be available for public comment July 1 through August 16. Visit publicinput.com/ivycitysap beginning July 1 to view the draft plan and for information on how to submit feedback. |
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The draft Nannie Helen Burroughs Corridor Small Area Plan will be available for public comment July 1 through August 15. Visit engage.dc.gov/nhbsap beginning July 1 to view the draft plan and for information on how to submit feedback. |
Learn more and get involved in our community planning projects:
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 Ward 4 Commemorate DC Community Design Workshop on June 22nd
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 Ward 5 Commemorate DC Community Design Workshop on June 22nd
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DC Day of Archaeology on June 1st |
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Urban Design Walking Tour in Anacostia on June 1st. OP’s Urban Design Visual Guide makes technical terms accessible and understandable so that more District residents can participate in discussions about how we design our city. |
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OP Food Policy Team at Lederer Gardens on June 12th
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OP is looking to hire a Community Planner to join our team. Learn more about the position and apply today!
Community Planner (Closing Date: 06/28/2024)
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