DC 2050: What We’ve Heard So Far

As we start to develop the policies for the new comprehensive plan alongside DC residents, I’m sharing reflections and takeaways.

In November, we hosted workshops to hear from community members about how they want the District to grow. We talked to people from all parts of the city to inform how we map future land uses in the District to accommodate growth.

If you weren’t able to join the workshops, I invite you to take part in our virtual workshop: DC 2050 Explore Possible Futures Virtual Workshop.

Here are some of the things we’ve heard so far and how we will use the information:

• Many residents like the idea of living and working in walkable neighborhoods with strong public transit connections. Our place types approach is designed to advance this idea.
• A recurring concern was the need for more family-sized housing, with three or more bedrooms. Suggestions included policy tools like incentives for larger housing units, inclusionary zoning, and prioritizing affordability in high-density areas. Developing land use policies that support housing for all household sizes is on the to-do list for our team.
• Comments highlighted the need for sustainable infrastructure, green space, and adequate city services to support increased population.
• Some residents asked for more information about how we’re considering racial equity in planning decisions. Our current comprehensive plan includes some approaches related to racial equity and we are considering how to bring forward some of these approaches as well as others for DC 2050.

What does OP do with this information?

We’re using the feedback we receive from workshops and other methods to inform the draft of the DC 2050 comprehensive plan. Our staff compiles and digests all of this information to identify trends in what we’re hearing. We make updates to what we’ve already prepared and explore new paths. It’s important to note that we’re listening to and documenting your input, whether you share it in an email to us, at a table out at a community event, or in-depth at a workshop. Our goal is to make sure that the comprehensive plan reflects the needs and wants of all facets of the DC community.

Stay tuned for future updates. Tell a friend or neighbor about DC 2050. Thank you for supporting this effort!

Sincerely,