Welcome to the DC 2050 Insider! Get the latest on what we’ve been up to and what’s coming up.
The DC Office of Planning (OP) has been working alongside DC residents, community organizations, businesses, and elected officials to develop DC 2050, the District's next Comprehensive Plan.
In this edition:
We held two public workshops on November 6 and 15, inviting residents into our building to share preliminary work and hear feedback. Here's what they covered:
Place types approach
With DC 2050, we're using an approach to land use policy called place types. The District historically has used a colored map, called the Future Land Use Map, to visualize desired uses for each area of the city. In the new comprehensive plan, we're streamlining and simplifying the use categories on the map so it's easier to read. For example, we've condensed 50+ use designations on the 2021 map into the 10 place types. Check out how this looks in a new StoryMap at DC2050.com.
Place type categories include four residential and three mixed-use "centers", as well as industrial, institutional, and parks/open space categories. They'll guide the height and density of buildings, as well as design and location of sidewalks, parks, other public spaces, and transportation infrastructure within each place.
Here's an illustrated example of the neighborhood center mixed-use place type, with sample neighborhoods listed below.
 Growth Strategies
We know DC is growing. By 2050, we estimate we’ll have almost 150,000 more people living here. But how and where we grow is up to us to decide.
At the workshops, we shared three approaches for adding capacity in specific locations:
- Downtown,
- around Metro stations, and
- along bus corridors.
See below for a depiction of a Metro station approach that highlights a half-mile radius around each station.
 Opportunity Areas Across the City
Along with strategies for citywide growth, we are also seeking feedback on neighborhood change. We divided the District into five smaller areas (shown at the right) and asked people: In this section of DC, where would you like to see new homes or other uses added?
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Ask the Directors Anything
At the second workshop, Director Kershbaum from the DC Department of Transportation sat alongside Director Cozart to take questions from attendees. Did you attend and speak with the Directors? Let us know what you thought and if we should offer this again at a future event.
Directors Kershbaum (DDOT) and Cozart (OP) speak with attendees at the November 15th DC 2050 public workshop
Office of Planning employees speak with attendees at DC 2050 workshops on Nov. 6 and 15
If you didn't attend the workshops this month, that's ok! We created a webpage to explain the place types approach to land use policy, full of example images.
We're working to publish the additional information from our workshops, with accompanying poll questions. Stay tuned for this "virtual workshop" coming soon!
If you’d like us to table at your event or organization, or if you’re interested in co-hosting a briefing or small group discussion through your organization, please email us at dc2050@dc.gov.
 In this section of our newsletter, we share questions we've heard from residents. If you have a question for OP, please email it to us at dc2050@dc.gov.
Question: Will place types affect the current zoning in DC?
Answer: The policies and place types included in DC 2050 will guide zoning in the District. After the comprehensive plan is finalized, property owners or the DC Office of Planning can apply for changes to zoning that are consistent with place type guidance on the new future land use map. The Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment determine whether proposed changes to zoning are consistent with the comprehensive plan.
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