D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 2501

IM-1 Administration of the Planning Process

Effective Aug 21, 2021Authority: Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)). 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)).District of Columbia, Office of the Secretary

2501.1 This section of the Implementation Element addresses the manner in which land use planning policies are interpreted and applied on a day-to-day basis. This includes the development review, small area planning, zoning, long-range planning, and community involvement activities used to carry out Comprehensive Plan policies. These policies effectively define “standard operating procedures” (SOPs) for planning administration in Washington, DC.

2501.2 An equitable District is one in which all residents have the same opportunities to thrive and prosper, where health outcomes are improved for all racial and ethnic groups, and environmental benefits are shared by everyone. Equity is critically important to achieving positive outcomes within the District’s communities. The goal of equity must go beyond closing the gap between different populations to establish conditions of well-being for all groups of people.

2501.3 The Office of Planning (OP) will synthesize and align policies throughout the Comprehensive Plan that explicitly focus on advancing equity and present these in the form of an Equity Crosswalk. The crosswalk will highlight those occurrences where equity (both directly and indirectly) appears within each chapter to better understand existing Comprehensive Plan policies through a stronger equity focus and determine what is missing or needs to be strengthened.

2501.4 Throughout the Comprehensive Plan elements, the term “racial equity lens” is used for activities ranging from preparing small area plans to evaluating development decisions. The intent is for District agencies to develop processes and tools tailored to various programs, activities, and decisions, that center and account for the needs of residents of color, to achieve these outcomes:

Identify and consider past and current systemic racial inequities;
Identify who benefits or is burdened from a decision;
Disaggregate data by race, and analyze data considering different impacts and outcomes by race; and
Evaluate the program, activity or decisions to identify measures, such as policies, plans, or requirements, that reduce systemic racial inequities, eliminate race as a predictor of results, and promote equitable development outcomes.

2501.5 The Comprehensive Plan and specifically the Implementation Element includes various strategies that will be used by the District to incorporate equity, and particularly racial equity, considerations to prioritize and target public

investments, policies, and programs, and make decisions that create measurable improvements in the lives of District residents, particularly those who have been most marginalized by systemic racism and structural inequity. A racial equity lens should be applied in these efforts that is explicit in naming and considering each representative community of color in the District, including African Americans, Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, Asians, Indigenous populations, or members of the Latinx community. Further, implementation strategies should be targeted in proportion to the historical trauma and disproportionate outcomes experienced by those communities. This can best be accomplished by disaggregating data to track and analyze specific outcomes for each racial and ethnic group.

2501.6 Along with consideration of the defining language on equity and racial equity in the Framework Element, guidance in the Citywide Elements on District-wide equity objectives, and the Area Elements should be used as a tool to help guide the equity interests and needs of different areas of the District.

2501.7 Action IM-1.A: Equity Crosswalk Prepare and maintain an Equity Crosswalk document that compiles, analyzes, and presents text, policies and actions that advance equity in the Comprehensive Plan as an accessible, publicly available document. Prepare other topical crosswalk documents as appropriate.

2501.8 Action: IM-1.B: Equity Tools for District Agencies, including the Zoning Commission Prepare and implement tools, including training, to assist District agencies in evaluating and implementing the Comprehensive Plan's policies and actions through an equity, particularly a racial equity lens. This includes tools to use as part of the development review process, preparation of plans, zoning code updates, and preparation of the capital improvement program, that consider how to apply an equity analysis in these processes, including any information needed. This shall specifically include a process for the Zoning Commission to evaluate all actions through a racial equity lens as part of its Comprehensive Plan consistency analysis.

2501.9 Action IM-1.C: Equity and Resilience Training Provide regular training on equity, racial equity and resilience to development review decision makers and related staff, including the Zoning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment, and the Historic Preservation Review Board.

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)).