2100.1 The Near Northwest Planning Area encompasses the 3.6 square miles located directly north and west of Central Washington. It extends from Glover Archbold Park on the west to North Capitol Street NW on the east. Its northern boundary is formed by Whitehaven Parkway west of Rock Creek and by Connecticut Avenue, U Street, and Florida Avenue NW east of Rock Creek. The southern boundary is formed by the Potomac River, the Central Employment Area, and New York Avenue NW (east of 7th Street NW). These boundaries are shown on the map at left. Most of this area has historically been Ward 2, although in past and present times, parts have also been included in Wards 1, 5, and 6.

2100.2 Near Northwest is known for its historic architecture, well-established neighborhoods, lively shopping areas, and nationally recognized institutions. These features provide enduring reminders of the District's growth, from the 18th century to today's international destination. The Georgetown Historic District, established in 1950 in response to the demolition of large numbers of waterfront and canal-related buildings, was the first such district established in Washington, DC. Today, more than half of Near Northwest's land area is included in historic districts, with concentrations of landmarks in Georgetown, on Washington Circle, within the campus of The George Washington University (GW), in Dupont and Logan Circles, and along Massachusetts Avenue NW. These designations include some of the oldest residential and commercial buildings in Washington, DC.

2100.3 The development pattern in the area is one of the densest in the Washington metropolitan region. Near Northwest neighborhoods contain some of the most diverse housing stock in the District, varying from single-family homes to high-rise apartments. Townhouses and mid-rise apartment buildings dating from the mid 19th to early 20th centuries define the area's residential neighborhoods; they are most prominent in Georgetown, Burleith, Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, Logan Circle, Shaw, and Mount Vernon Square. Kalorama principally consists of single-family homes dating to the early 20th century. Large apartment buildings, many built during the 1920s and 1930s, are concentrated along major roadways, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Avenues, and 16th Street NW. Mid-century modern and more contemporary high-density construction defines West End and the 14th Street NW corridor, as well as riverfront communities like the Watergate and Washington Harbour.

2100.4 Located outside of Georgetown, the area is well connected to other parts of the District and region by mass transit, including the Red, Green, Orange, Blue, and Silver Metrorail (Metro) lines and multiple bus lines. Several parkways, highways, and interstates also pass through or are immediately adjacent to the area, often creating barriers between neighborhoods, parks, and the Potomac River in the eastern portion of the area. These include Interstate 66, the

Whitehurst Freeway, Canal Road, Rock Creek and Potomac Parkways, and the I-395/Center Leg Freeway. The overall street pattern reflects the L'Enfant Plan, with prominent diagonal boulevards bisecting a rectangular grid.

2100.5 Shopping areas in Near Northwest range from regional destinations, such as M Street in Georgetown, to neighborhood commercial districts, such as 17th Street NW in Dupont Circle. The more prominent retail areas are on the major streets and avenues, including Connecticut Avenue, U Street, and 7th, 9th, and 14th Streets NW. There are smaller retail districts throughout the area and corner stores in almost every residential neighborhood. While it has a limited number of neighborhood parks, the entire Near Northwest area is within one and a half miles of Rock Creek Park or the National Mall.

2100.6 Near Northwest is home to a number of institutions known both locally and internationally. Established in 1789, Georgetown is the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. The 100-acre main campus overlooks the Potomac River and features traditional and modern architecture, including Healy Hall, which was designed in neo-medieval style, built between 1877-1879, and designated as a National Historic Landmark. Today, much of the university's open space is available to community members, neighborhood schools, organizations, and individuals for recreational use. GW, located in Foggy Bottom at the edge of the Central Business District, is a much more urban campus, well integrated into the dense fabric of the neighborhood surrounding it. Museums and historic sites, including the Phillips Collection, Woodrow Wilson House, and the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, attract visitors from the region and across the country. 14th Street NW is home to the Studio Theater, as well as other performing arts venues and galleries. After years of disinvestment following the unrest in 1968, 14th Street has experienced intense development activity and restaurant openings, which have contributed to establishing the corridor as one of Washington, DC's premier food and entertainment districts. Foreign embassies are concentrated along Massachusetts Avenue NW, in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, and in Kalorama.

2100.7 A number of local community and business associations play an active role in shaping Near Northwest land use decisions. In addition to seven Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) that represent residents from three wards, there are many community associations and active groups with a specific focus. Some, like the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), work toward building a stronger business community. Others, like the Citizens Association of Georgetown, the Foggy Bottom Association, the Logan Circle Community Association, and the Dupont Circle Conservancy, have strong preservation programs. Others work directly with residents to create a higher quality of life. The Georgetown Community Partnership, for example, includes community, university, and student leaders and was formed as a consensus-based forum to

develop a campus plan for Georgetown's historic main campus and manage community-university issues.

2100.8 In the recent past, increasing values in long-sought-after neighborhoods like Georgetown, Kalorama, Foggy Bottom, West End, and Dupont Circle, have resulted in development activity moving east into Logan Circle, Shaw, and Mount Vernon Square. The strong real estate market has prompted many owners in these neighborhoods to renovate or sell their properties, leading to sharp increases in home prices and rents and a loss of affordable units.

2100.9 The most significant challenge facing the Near Northwest Planning Area is retaining the physical and social fabric of the community in the face of intense economic pressure. Parts of the area are still trying to find the right balance between development and preservation. This plays out in daily debates on physical planning issues like height, scale, and design, and on social issues relating to changing demographics and cultural values. Policies are needed to address a host of local issues, including the preservation and production of affordable housing; strengthening the opportunities for small and local businesses; maintaining existing and expanding new infrastructure and services, such as schools and recreational spaces, to serve a growing population of families in the area; and addressing the tensions that inevitably result from the area's highly diverse mix of land uses and densities.

SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).