D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A909
Some of the very qualities that make Central Washington's design so memorable also create its greatest challenges. Distances are unusually long, walking is difficult in many places, and there is a lack of connectivity between the sub-districts of the central city. It is nearly four miles from the West End to the Navy Yard-arguably both are parts of the central business district-yet the two feel like entirely different cities. The District's height limit, while lauded for its human scale, has also resulted in long rows of featureless office buildings with little architectural interest. Moreover, Downtown is not particularly well integrated with the National Mall. To some extent, the Mall divides-rather than unites-the central city, and adds to the perception of a city with multiple downtowns bearing little connection to one another. 909.1
While the goal of creating a more coherent central business district has been in place for awhile, the current rapid pace of development means that the District must take a more proactive role. A stronger urban design framework is needed to attain the goal of a more cohesive and well-designed central city. 909.2
Sunken retail space is common in the District, as it allows for additional square footage in buildings that are otherwise limited in size by the Height Act.
This framework should establish a stronger identity for the emerging business districts on the northeast and southeast edges of Downtown. It should improve streets and public spaces, promote a higher level of architectural quality, and establish appropriate scale and density transitions to protect small-scale residential neighborhoods on the edges of Downtown. It should include strategies to deal with specific site challenges, such as the isolation of the Kennedy Center from surrounding land uses, the poor pedestrian environment at L'Enfant Plaza, and the presence of industrial uses on New Jersey Avenue, SE and Delaware Avenue just blocks from the US Capitol. 909.3
Design decisions for Central Washington should also address the peculiar architectural dynamics created by the 1910 Height Act. Currently, the desire to maximize buildable floor area while adhering to height limits often results in buildings with very little sculptural form. The most innovative and distinctive buildings tend to be public places-museums, libraries, and other structures where maximizing rentable space is not the primary objective. This is consistent with the city's architectural heritage in some respects, but there are still opportunities to improve the design of office, residential, and retail buildings in the central city. 909.4
While the height limit clearly affects building form, it also affects street life in unexpected ways. It results in ground floors that are sunken below grade by as much as several feet to maximize the number of stories that can be accommodated in each building. This in turn creates challenges for street-level retailers, and impacts the experience of walking or shopping downtown. Other challenges include the appearance of vents, mechanical equipment, and other essential rooftop elements that exceed the maximum building height. The design of these elements takes on special importance given their high visibility on an otherwise "flat" downtown skyline. 909.5
As the Historic Preservation Element notes, the presence of numerous historic buildings, historic districts, and important vistas also affects design. Attempts to create false facades mimicking historic styles, or to preserve facades and tear down the buildings behind them, have produced mixed results. As the existing stock of aging office buildings is replaced, greater attention must be given to design quality, street character, and landscape. 909.6
Policy UD-2.1.1: Design Character
Create a more coherent design character for Central Washington by improving the physical linkages between the monumental core, the business sub-districts on the perimeter of the National Mall, and the expanding mixed use areas to the east and southeast of Downtown. Urban design strategies should focus on making the entire area more walkable, discouraging monolithic architecture, improving signage and streetscape features, and adding new land uses which make the area more lively, interesting, and dynamic.
Policy UD-2.1.2: Downtown Street and Block Pattern
Maintain a fine-grained pattern of Downtown blocks, streets, and alleys, with intersections and frontages that encourage pedestrian movement and reduce the potential for immense variations in scale and "fortresslike" office buildings. (see Figure 9.8) 909.8
Figure 9.8: Superblock versus Fine-Grained Street and Development Patterns
Policy UD-2.1.3: Downtown Edges
Establish and maintain scale and density transitions between Downtown and adjacent lower density neighborhoods. Use variations in height, massing, and architectural quality to ensure that the fine-grained pattern of adjacent neighborhoods is protected. (see Figure 9.9) 909.10
Figure 9.9: Desired Scale Transitions at Downtown Edges to Residential Areas
Policy UD-2.1.4: Architectural Excellence
Promote excellence in the design of Downtown buildings and landscapes. Particular attention should be focused on ground floor (street) levels, with greater architectural details used to improve visual image. 909.12
Policy UD-2.1.5: Federal Coordination
Coordinate with the federal government to achieve a consistent urban design vision for Central Washington. As applicable, the District should incorporate design concepts from the National Capital Planning Commission's Legacy Plan and similar design-oriented plans for the monumental core of the city into its own design plans and strategies. 909.13
Policy UD-2.1.6: Pedestrian Bridges and Tunnels
Discourage the construction of second-level Downtown pedestrian bridges that drain activity from the street level. Subterranean tunnels between buildings also should be discouraged, unless they improve access to Metro and are necessary for pedestrian safety. 909.14
Action UD-2.1.A: Retail Ceiling Heights
Convene a Task Force of retailers, developers, architects, and others to evaluate alternative approaches to achieving higher first-floor ceiling heights in new Downtown buildings. 909.15
Development along Chinatown's 7th Street shows how contemporary designs can be integrated into historic settings.
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-A909