In July 2010, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government awarded DC OP with one of eight TLC Program technical assistance grants for funding an exploratory study for the Connecticut Avenue/Van Ness area in FY 2011. For the study, OP retained Rhodeside & Harwell Planners and Landscape Architects. The process was also facilitated by the volunteer work of University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Department of Architecture’s students and faculty. The study process was kicked off with an interagency meeting on November 30th, 2010 and followed up by meetings with stakeholders and the community, including a public design charrette at UDC. The study process was completed in July 2011.

The goal of the study is to create a vision for the Connecticut Avenue corridor, from Albemarle Street to Tilden Street, to:

1. Explore Low Impact Development (LID) design techniques and identify implementation opportunities along the corridor to better manage storm water, better protect our creeks and waterways while enhancing the pedestrian experience on the Avenue.
2. Establish streetscape typologies that will organize and improve the identity of the corridor.
3. Provide recommendations for revitalizing public spaces along the corridor.
4. Improve pedestrian and bicycle connections between the Van Ness-UDC Metro station, existing businesses, and adjacent communities and institutions.

The study resulted in new design options for private and public spaces along the Avenue. These options will need to be further analyzed by the District Department of Transportation before implementation in the public right-of-way and might be modified during the engineering phase. In addition, new design options for private plazas will be shared with private landlords as portions of the Avenue are redeveloped in the future to help generate a more consistent design experience.

• Meeting 1: Government Stakeholders Meeting (November 30, 2010 DC Office of Planning)
• Meeting 2: Stakeholders Meeting (February 8, 2011 DC Office of Planning)
• Meeting 3: Public Design Charrette (March 14, 2011 UDC)
• Meeting 4: Public Open House (April 27, 2011 Van Ness South Apartments Community Room)