D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A906
Grand streets in the form of avenues and boulevards are another defining element of Washington's urban form. The avenues originated as part of the L'Enfant design for the city. By overlapping a system of broad, diagonal thoroughfares on a grid of lettered and numbered streets, streets like Pennsylvania Avenue were given immediate importance, creating memorable views and a strong sense of civic identity. Beyond the heart of the city, these avenues extend to the outer neighborhoods, in some cases forming dramatic points of entry into the District of Columbia. Over time, several other streets in the city grid were designed or redesigned to display similar characteristics.
The District's avenues and boulevards are also emblematic of its social and economic divides. Some are thriving, while others are marked by boarded up buildings and degraded sidewalks. The most successful are located within the monumental core and west of 14th Street NW, encompassing such streets as Connecticut Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue. The less successful occur mostly in neighborhoods that are in transition, such as Georgia Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, New York Avenue, Minnesota Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, South Capitol Street, and portions of North Capitol Street and East Capitol Street, East of the River. Good urban design is essential to reestablishing the city's avenues and streets as positive elements of city form. 906.2
One of the intrinsic functions of avenues and boulevards is that they provide "gateways" into the District and its neighborhoods. An appropriate sense of transition and arrival should be provided at each gateway. This can be achieved through a combination of landscaping, streetscape amenities, signage, view protection, and building and street design. 906.3
View protection is also another important objective along these streets. This is especially true on streets like North and South Capitol, which have symbolic importance but lack a commensurately grand streetscape. Distinctive street walls and facades, high-quality architecture, and street trees should provide greater focus and frame important vistas along these and other important thoroughfares. 906.4
Major avenues/boulevards and gateways are shown in Map 9.2. 906.5
Policy UD-1.4.1: Avenues/Boulevards and Urban Form
Use Washington's major avenues/boulevards as a way to reinforce the form and identity of the city, connect its neighborhoods, and improve its aesthetic and visual character. Focus improvement efforts on avenues/ boulevards in emerging neighborhoods, particularly those that provide important gateways or view corridors within the city. 906.6
Map 9.2: Major Avenues, Boulevards and Gateways
Policy UD-1.4.2: City Gateways
Create more distinctive and memorable gateways at points of entry to the city, and points of entry to individual neighborhoods and neighborhood centers. Gateways should provide a sense of transition and arrival, and should be designed to make a strong and positive visual impact.
Policy UD-1.4.3: Avenue/Boulevard Vistas and View Corridors
Protect views and view corridors along avenues/boulevards, particularly along streets that terminate at important civic monuments or that frame distant landmarks. Vistas along such streets should be accentuated by creating more well-defined street walls, improving landscaping, and requiring the highest architectural quality as development takes place. (see Figure 9.7). 906.9
Policy UD-1.4.4: Multi-Modal Avenue/Boulevard Design
Discourage the use of the city's major avenues and boulevards as "auto-only" roadways. Instead, encourage their use as multi-modal corridors, supporting transit lanes, bicycle lanes, and wide sidewalks, as well as conventional vehicle lanes.
Policy UD-1.4.5: Priority Avenues/Boulevards
Focus the city's avenue/boulevard design improvements on historically important or symbolic streets that suffer from poor aesthetic conditions. Examples include North and South Capitol Streets, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, and Georgia Avenue and the avenues designated by the "Great Streets" program. 906.11
Action UD-1.4.A: Zoning and Views
As part of the revision of the District's zoning regulations, determine the feasibility of overlays or special design controls that would apply to major boulevards and gateway streets. The purpose of such overlays would be to ensure the protection and enhancement of important views and to upgrade the aesthetic quality of key boulevards. 906.12
Action UD-1.4.B: Boundary Streets and Entrances
Explore the feasibility of enhancing points of arrival into the District at the major Maryland/DC gateways through signage, public art, landscaping, restoration of historic boundary markers, road design and pavement changes, special treatment of boundary streets (Southern, Eastern, and Western Avenues), and similar improvements. 906.13
Figure 9.7: Consistent Streetwall and Street Trees Framing Monumental Views
See the Land Use Element for additional actions relating to the city's "Great Streets" program. See the Historic Preservation Element (HP-2.3.3) for more on protecting the special character of the L'Enfant Plan's Streets.
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-A906