D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A104
Since the late 1980s, the District has maintained a three-tiered system of city planning comprised of:
In the past, the Comprehensive Plan has been the repository for the citywide and ward-level policies. The small area policies, meanwhile, have appeared in separately bound "Small Area Plans" for particular neighborhoods and business districts. As specified in the city's municipal code, Small Area Plans provide supplemental guidance to the Comprehensive Plan and are not part of the legislatively adopted document. 104.2
The 2006 Comprehensive Plan retains three geographic tiers but incorporates a number of changes to improve the plan's effectiveness and readability. Probably the most important change is the replacement of "Ward Plans" with "Area Elements." While Ward Plans were an effective way to express local priorities within the Comp Plan, the boundaries changed dramatically in 1990 and 2000 due to population shifts. Redistricting will occur again after the Censuses in 2010, 2020, and so on. Moreover, the city's wards are drawn to ensure an equal number of residents in each Council district rather than to provide a coherent rationale for planning the city. Thus, places like Downtown Washington (divided by a ward boundary) and the Anacostia River (divided by four ward boundaries) have been covered in multiple places in past Comprehensive Plans. This has resulted in redundancy and fragmented policies for many of Washington's most important places. The relationship between the Comprehensive Plan and the three tiers is described below. 104.3
Tier One: The Citywide Elements
The Comprehensive Plan includes 13 Citywide Elements, each addressing a topic that is citywide in scope, followed by an Implementation Element. The elements are listed below:
* Framework (setting the plan's guiding principles and vision)
* Land Use
* Transportation
* Housing
* Economic Development
* Parks, Recreation, and Open Space
* Educational Facilities
* Environmental Protection
* Infrastructure
* Urban Design
* Historic Preservation
* Community Services and Facilities
* Arts and Culture
* Implementation. 104.4
Tier Two: The Area Elements
The Comprehensive Plan includes 10 Area Elements, shown on Map 1.1. Taken together, these ten areas encompass the entire District of Columbia. The Area Elements are listed alphabetically below:
* Capitol Hill
* Central Washington
* Far Northeast and Southeast
* Far Southeast and Southwest
* Lower Anacostia Waterfront and Near Southwest
* Mid-City
* Near Northwest
* Rock Creek East
* Rock Creek West
* Upper Northeast. 104.5
Although the Citywide and Area Elements are in separate sections of this document, they carry the same legal authority. The Area Elements focus on issues that are unique to particular parts of the District. Many of their policies are "place-based," referencing specific neighborhoods, corridors, business districts, and local landmarks. However, the policies are still general in nature and do not prescribe specific uses or design details. Nor do the Area Elements repeat policies that already appear in the citywide elements. They are intended to provide a sense of local priorities and to recognize the different dynamics at work in each part of the city. 104.6
Area Elements Map
Tier Three: The Small Area Plans
As noted above, Small Area Plans are not part of the Comprehensive Plan. As specified in the DC Code, Small Area Plans supplement the Comprehensive Plan by providing detailed direction for areas ranging in size from a few city blocks to entire neighborhoods or corridors. In the past, Small Area Plans have been prepared for places in the city where District action was necessary to manage growth, promote revitalization, or achieve other long-range planning goals. Examples include the H Street NE corridor, the Takoma Metro station area, and the Shaw/Convention Center area. Small Area Plans are adopted by the DC Council by resolution. The Comprehensive Plan is adopted in a different manner-by legislation and becomes part of the DC Municipal Regulations. 104.8
In the future, additional Small Area Plans will be developed. The Implementation Element of this Comprehensive Plan outlines where and under what conditions such plans should be undertaken. Existing Small Area Plans are cross-referenced in the Comprehensive Plan Area Elements and should be consulted for further detail about the areas they cover. 104.9
The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9 a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is availablewww.planning.dc.gov.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A104