D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A309
The same effort given to keep Washington's monumental core a symbol of national pride must be given to the city's neighborhoods. After all, the public image of the city is defined as much by its homes, businesses, streets, and neighborhood spaces as it is by its monuments and federal buildings. For Washington's residents, the neighborhoods are the essence of the city's social and physical environment. Land use policies must ensure that all neighborhoods have adequate access to commercial services, parks, educational and cultural facilities, and sufficient housing opportunities while protecting their rich historic and cultural legacies. 309.1
Washington has no fewer than 130 distinct and identifiable neighborhoods today. They range from high-density urban mixed use communities like the West End and Mount Vernon Square to quiet low-density neighborhoods like Crestwood and Spring Valley, providing a wide range of choices for the District's many different types of households. Just as their physical qualities vary, the social and economic characteristics of the city's neighborhoods also vary. In 2001, the DC Office of Planning used a range of social and economic indicators to classify neighborhoods as "stable", "transitional", "emerging", or "distressed." These indicators included income, home value and sales, school performance, crime rates, poverty rates, educational attainment, and building permit activity, among others. 309.2
Most of the District's recent planning efforts have focused on transitional, emerging, and distressed neighborhoods. Land use strategies for these areas have emphasized the reuse of vacant sites, the refurbishment (or replacement) of abandoned or deteriorating buildings, the removal of illegal land uses, and improvements to the public realm (e.g., streets and public buildings). These strategies have been paired with incentives for the private sector to reinvest in each neighborhood and provide new housing choices and services. A different set of land use strategies has been applied in "stable" neighborhoods, emphasizing neighborhood conservation and appropriate infill. Land use policies in these areas have focused on retaining neighborhood character, mitigating development impacts on services and infrastructure, preventing demolition in historic districts, and improving the connection between zoning and present and desired land uses. 309.3
During the coming decades, the District will keep striving for increased stability in its transitional, emerging, and distressed neighborhoods. This does not mean that all neighborhoods should become the same, or that a uniform "formula" for stability should be applied to each community. Rather, it means that each neighborhood should have certain basic assets and amenities (see text box below). These assets and amenities should be protected and enhanced where they exist today, and created or restored where they do not. 309.4
Policy LU-2.1.1: Variety of Neighborhood Types
Maintain a variety of residential neighborhood types in the District, ranging from low-density, single family neighborhoods to high-density, multi-family mixed use neighborhoods. The positive elements that create the identity and character of each neighborhood should be preserved and enhanced in the future. 309.5
What Makes a Great Neighborhood?
In 2004, "A Vision for Growing an Inclusive City" identified essential physical qualities that all neighborhoods should share. These included: Transportation options for those without a car, including convenient bus service and safe access for pedestrians; Easy access to shops and services meeting day-to-day needs, such as child care, groceries, and sit-down restaurants; Housing choices, including homes for renters and for owners, and a range of units that meet the different needs of the community; Safe, clean public gathering places, such as parks and plazas-places to meet neighbors, places for children to play, and places to exercise or connect with nature; Quality public services, including police and fire protection, safe and modernized schools, and libraries and recreation centers that can be conveniently accessed (though not necessarily located within the neighborhood itself); Distinctive character and a "sense of place", defined by neighborhood architecture, visual landmarks and vistas, streets, public spaces, and historic places; Evidence of visible public maintenance and investment-proof that the city "cares" about the neighborhood and is responsive to its needs; and A healthy natural environment, with street trees and greenery, and easy access to the city's open space system. A neighborhood's success must be measured by more than the income of its residents or the size of its homes. A successful neighborhood should create a sense of belonging and civic pride, and a collective sense of stewardship and responsibility for the community's future among all residents. 309.6
Policy LU-2.1.2: Neighborhood Revitalization
Facilitate orderly neighborhood revitalization and stabilization by focusing District grants, loans, housing rehabilitation efforts, commercial investment programs, capital improvements, and other government actions in those areas that are most in need. Use social, economic, and physical indicators such as the poverty rate, the number of abandoned or substandard buildings, the crime rate, and the unemployment rate as key indicators of need. 309.7
Policy LU-2.1.3: Conserving, Enhancing, and Revitalizing Neighborhoods
Recognize the importance of balancing goals to increase the housing supply and expand neighborhood commerce with parallel goals to protect neighborhood character, preserve historic resources, and restore the environment. The overarching goal to "create successful neighborhoods" in all parts of the city requires an emphasis on conservation in some neighborhoods and revitalization in others. 309.8
Policy LU-2.1.4: Rehabilitation Before Demolition
In redeveloping areas characterized by vacant, abandoned, and underutilized older buildings, generally encourage rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings rather than demolition. 309.9
Policy LU-2.1.5: Conservation of Single Family Neighborhoods
Protect and conserve the District's stable, low density neighborhoods and ensure that their zoning reflects their established low density character. Carefully manage the development of vacant land and the alteration of existing structures in and adjacent to single family neighborhoods in order to protect low density character, preserve open space, and maintain neighborhood scale. 309.10
Policy LU-2.1.6: Teardowns
Discourage the replacement of quality homes in good physical condition with new homes that are substantially larger, taller, and bulkier than the prevailing building stock. 309.11
Policy LU-2.1.7: Conservation of Row House Neighborhoods
Protect the character of row house neighborhoods by requiring the height and scale of structures to be consistent with the existing pattern, considering additional row house neighborhoods for "historic district" designation, and regulating the subdivision of row houses into multiple dwellings. Upward and outward extension of row houses which compromise their design and scale should be discouraged. 309.12
Policy LU-2.1.8: Zoning of Low and Moderate Density Neighborhoods
Discourage the zoning of areas currently developed with single family homes, duplexes, and rowhouses (e.g., R-1 through R-4) for multifamily apartments (e.g., R-5) where such action would likely result in the demolition of housing in good condition and its replacement with structures that are potentially out of character with the existing neighborhood. 309.13
Policy LU-2.1.9: Addition of Floors and Roof Structures to Row Houses and Apartments
Generally discourage increases in residential density resulting from new floors and roof structures (with additional dwelling units) being added to the tops of existing row houses and apartment buildings, particularly where such additions would be out of character with the other structures on the block. Roof structures should only be permitted if they would not harm the architectural character of the building on which they would be added or other buildings nearby. 309.14
Policy LU-2.1.10: Multi-Family Neighborhoods
Maintain the multi-family residential character of the District's Medium and High-Density residential areas. Limit the encroachment of large scale, incompatible commercial uses into these areas, and make these areas more attractive, pedestrian-friendly, and transit accessible. 309.15
Policy LU-2.1.11: Residential Parking Requirements
Ensure that parking requirements for residential buildings are responsive to the varying levels of demand associated with different unit types, unit sizes, and unit locations (including proximity to transit). Parking should be accommodated in a manner that maintains an attractive environment at the street level and minimizes interference with traffic flow. Reductions in parking may be considered where transportation demand management measures are implemented and a reduction in demand can be clearly demonstrated. 309.16
Please refer to the Transportation Element for additional policies and actions related to parking management.
Policy LU-2.1.12: Reuse of Public Buildings
Rehabilitate vacant or outmoded public and semi-public buildings for continued use. Reuse plans should be compatible with their surroundings, and should limit the introduction of new uses that could adversely affect neighboring communities. 309.17
Policy LU-2.1.13: Flag Lots
Generally discourage the use of "flag lots" (lots with little or no street frontage, accessed by a driveway easement or narrow strip of land and typically located to the rear of another lot) when subdividing residential property. 309.18
Policy LU-2.1.14: Planned Unit Developments in Neighborhood Commercial Corridors
Consider modifying minimum lot size and other filing and procedural (but not height and density) requirements for Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) for neighborhood commercial areas for the purpose of allowing small property owners to participate in projects that encourage high quality developments and provide public benefits.
Action LU-2.1.A: Rowhouse Zoning District
Develop a new row house zoning district or divide the existing R-4 district into R-4-A and R-4-B to better recognize the unique nature of row house neighborhoods and conserve their architectural form (including height, mass, setbacks, and design). 309.19
Action LU-2.1.B: Amendment of Exterior Wall Definition
Amend the city's procedures for roof structure review so that the division on- line wall or party wall of a row house or semi-detached house is treated as an exterior wall for the purposes of applying zoning regulations and height requirements. 309.20
Provide a better match between zoning and existing land uses in the city's residential areas, with a particular focus on: Blocks of well-established single family and semi-detached homes that are zoned R-3 or higher; Blocks that consist primarily of row houses that are zoned R-5-B or higher; and Historic districts where the zoning does not match the predominant contributing properties on the block face. In all three of these instances, pursue rezoning to appropriate densities to protect the predominant architectural character and scale of the neighborhood. 309.21
Action LU-2.1.D: Avoiding "Mansionization"
Consider adjustments to the District's zoning regulations to address the construction of excessively large homes that are out of context with the surrounding neighborhood ("mansionization"). These adjustments might include the use of a sliding scale for maximum lot occupancy (based on lot size), and the application of floor area ratios in single family zone districts to reduce excessive building mass. They could also include creation of a new zoning classification with a larger minimum lot size than the existing R-1-A zone, with standards that more effectively control building expansion and lot division. 309.22
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 available www.planning.dc.gov.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A309