310.1 The same effort given to keep Washington, DC's monumental core a symbol of national pride must be given to the District's neighborhoods. After all, Washington, DC's public image is defined as much by the diversity and vibrancy of its communities, local culture, homes, businesses, streets, and neighborhood spaces as it is by its monuments and federal buildings. For Washington, DC's residents, the neighborhoods are the essence of the District's social and physical environment. Strong neighborhoods are key to continued livability in a growing and changing District. Land use policies must seek to ensure that all neighborhoods have adequate access to commercial services, parks, educational and cultural facilities, economic mobility, and sufficient and accessible housing opportunities while protecting their rich historic and cultural legacies. In addition, land use policies and actions must be viewed through a racial equity lens to provide equitable development that provides adequate access to these services and opportunities within neighborhoods of color and low-income communities.

310.2 Today, Washington, DC has no fewer than 130 distinct and identifiable neighborhoods. They range from high-density, urban mixed-use communities like the West End and Mount Vernon Square to quiet, low-density neighborhoods like Crestwood and Spring Valley, providing a wide range of choices for many different types of households. Just as their physical qualities vary, the social and economic characteristics of neighborhoods also vary. In 2001, the DC Office of Planning (OP) studied neighborhoods using a range of social and economic indicators, including income, home value and sales, school performance, crime rates, poverty rates, educational attainment, and building permit activity, among others. While much has changed since 2001, including substantial population growth, the emergence of new residential neighborhoods, and the revitalization of established neighborhoods, the neighborhood data remains instructive for the purposes of land use policy and should be updated when a new Comprehensive Plan is undertaken.

310.3 Many of the District's planning efforts have focused on transitional, emerging, and underfunded neighborhoods. Land use strategies for these areas have emphasized the reuse of vacant sites, the refurbishment (or replacement) of abandoned or deteriorating buildings, the removal of illegal land uses, and the improvement of the public realm (e.g., streets and public buildings). These strategies have been paired with incentives for the private sector to reinvest in each neighborhood and provide new housing choices and services. A different set of land use strategies has been applied in established neighborhoods, emphasizing commercial enhancement strategies, public space design, neighborhood character, and appropriate infill. Land use policies in these areas have focused on retaining neighborhood character, mitigating development impacts on services and infrastructure, preventing demolition in historic districts, and improving the

connection between zoning and present and desired land uses. To advance the vision of an inclusive, equitable city, future planning must guide all neighborhoods to stable, high-opportunity outcomes while addressing issues specific to each area.

310.4 Other planning efforts have focused on reconnecting neighborhoods divided by large transportation infrastructure, such as highways and railyards. This infrastructure, often developed as part of urban renewal, frequently destroyed or physically divided Black and Brown neighborhoods. Reconnection must strengthen and bring benefits to existing neighborhoods and create new neighborhoods to accommodate growth, such as in the NoMa, Capitol Crossing, and Southwest. These planning efforts include framework plans to provide design guidance, define and activate the public realm, support neighborhood sustainability and resilience, and identify retail strategies.

310.5 Continued growth, competing demands for land, and the desire to manage policy priorities across Washington, DC requires renewed attention to all areas in the District.

310.6 During the coming decades, the District will keep striving for equity across all neighborhoods in terms of access to housing affordable to a range of incomes and household types, job opportunities, economic mobility, energy innovation, and amenities. This does not mean that all neighborhoods should become the same or that a uniform formula should be applied to each community. Rather, it means that each neighborhood should have certain basic assets and amenities (see What Makes a Great Neighborhood). These assets and amenities should be protected and enhanced where they exist today and created or restored where they do not.

310.7 Policy LU-2.1.1: Variety of Neighborhood Types Maintain a variety of neighborhoods, ranging from low-density to high-density. The positive elements that create the identity and character of each neighborhood should be preserved and enhanced while encouraging the identification of appropriate sites for new development and/or adaptive reuse to help accommodate population growth and advance affordability and opportunity.

310.8 An inclusive neighborhood should create a sense of belonging, civic pride, and a collective sense of stewardship and responsibility for the community's future among all residents. Indeed, a neighborhood's vibrancy has to be measured by more than the income of its residents or the size of its homes. The 2004 A Vision for Growing an Inclusive City identified essential physical qualities that all neighborhoods should share. These included the following:

1. Transportation options for those without a car, including convenient bus service, carsharing, bicycle facilities, and safe access for pedestrians;

2. • Easy access to shops and services that meet day-to-day needs, such as child care, groceries, and sit-down restaurants;

3. • Housing choices, including homes for renters and for owners, and a range of units that meet the different needs of the community;
4. • Safe, clean public gathering places, such as parks and plazas—places to meet neighbors, places for children to play, and places to exercise or connect with nature;
5. • Quality public services, including police and fire protection, high-quality, safe, and modernized schools, health services, as well as libraries and recreation centers that can be conveniently accessed;
6. • Distinctive character and a sense of place defined by neighborhood architecture, visual landmarks and vistas, streets, public spaces, and historic places;
7. • Evidence of visible public maintenance and investment—proof that the District is responsive to neighborhood needs; and
8. • A healthy natural environment, with street trees and greenery, and easy access to Washington, DC's open space system.

The understanding of what makes a great neighborhood has evolved, particularly in terms of eliminating existing inequalities by race, income, and geography and promoting equitable development, advancing sustainability, and building community resilience to everyday and long-term challenges, such as environmental and manmade disasters and public health emergencies. Where a resident lives—a person’s neighborhood—remains one of the greatest predictors of individual health and economic outcomes. Vibrant neighborhoods have distinct character and can support growth. Investment and development should advance neighborhood vitality, growth, and economic mobility, and increase access, equity, and where appropriate, jobs. The positive elements that create the identity and character of each neighborhood should be preserved and enhanced.

310.9

Policy LU-2.1.2: Neighborhood Revitalization

Facilitate neighborhood revitalization by focusing District grants, loans, housing rehabilitation efforts, commercial investment programs, capital improvements, and other government actions in those areas that are most in need, especially where projects advance equitable development and racial equity, and create opportunities for disadvantaged persons. Engage and partner in these efforts with the persons intended to be served by revitalization. Use social, economic, and

physical indicators, such as the poverty rate, the number of abandoned or substandard buildings, the crime rate, and the unemployment rate, as key indicators of need.

310.10 Policy LU-2.1.3: Conserving, Enhancing, and Revitalizing Neighborhoods Recognize the importance of balancing goals to increase the housing supply, including affordable units, and expand neighborhood commerce with parallel goals to protect neighborhood character, preserve historic resources, and restore the environment. The overarching goal to create vibrant neighborhoods in all parts of the District requires an emphasis on conserving units and character in some neighborhoods and revitalization in others, although all neighborhoods have a role to play in helping to meet broader District-wide needs, such as affordable housing, public facilities, and more.

310.11 Policy LU-2.1.4: Rehabilitation Before Demolition In redeveloping areas characterized by vacant, abandoned, and underused older buildings, generally encourage rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of architecturally or historically significant existing buildings rather than demolition.

310.12 Policy LU-2.1.5: Support Low-Density Neighborhood Support and maintain the District's established low-density neighborhoods and related low-density zoning. Carefully manage the development of vacant land and alterations to existing structures to be compatible with the general design character and scale of the existing neighborhood and preserve civic and open space.

310.13 Policy LU-2.1.6: Teardowns and Mansionization Discourage the replacement of quality homes in good physical condition with new single-family homes that are substantially larger, taller, bulkier or likely to require more energy than the prevailing building stock.

310.14 Policy LU-2.1.7: Row House Neighborhood Character Respect the character of row house neighborhoods by ensuring that infill development is compatible with existing design patterns and maintains or expands the number of family-sized units. Upward and outward extension of row houses that compromise their design should be discouraged.

310.15 Policy: LU-2.1.8 Explore Approaches to Additional Density in Low and Moderate Density Neighborhoods Notwithstanding Policy LU-2.1.5, explore approaches, including rezoning, to accommodate a modest increase in density and more diverse housing types in low-density and moderate density neighborhoods where it would result in the appropriate production of additional housing and particularly affordable housing. However, detailed neighborhood planning is a condition predicate to any pro

posals. Infill and new development shall be compatible with the general design character and scale of existing neighborhoods and minimize demolition of housing in good condition.

310.16 Policy LU-2.1.9: Alterations to Row Houses and Apartments Generally discourage alterations to existing row houses and apartments that result in a loss of family sized units. Encourage alterations if it results in an increase in family-sized units. Roof structures should only be permitted if they respect the architectural character of the building on which they are proposed and of other nearby buildings.

310.17 Policy LU-2.1.10: Multi-Family Neighborhoods Maintain the multi-family residential character of the District's medium- and high-density residential areas. Limit the encroachment of large-scale, incompatible commercial uses into these areas. Make these areas more attractive, pedestrian-friendly, and transit accessible, and explore opportunities for compatible commercial development which provides jobs for nearby residents.

310.18 Policy LU-2.1.11: Residential Parking Requirements Parking requirements for residential buildings should respond to the varying levels of demand associated with different unit types, unit sizes, unit locations (including proximity to transit), and emerging transportation trends and new technology (such as the sharing economy and autonomous vehicles (AVs)). Parking should be accommodated in a manner that maintains an attractive environment at the street level and minimizes interference with traffic flow. Reductions in parking may be considered where transportation-demand management measures are implemented and a reduction in demand can be demonstrated.

Please refer to the Transportation Element for additional policies and actions related to parking management.

310.19 Policy LU-2.1.12: Reuse of Public Buildings Rehabilitate vacant or outdated public and semi-public buildings for continued use including residential uses, particularly if located within residential areas. Reuse plans should be compatible with their surroundings and co-location of uses considered to meet broader District-wide goals. Reuse of public buildings should implement Small Area and Framework Plans where possible.

310.20 Policy LU-2.1.13: Planned Unit Developments in Neighborhood Commercial Corridors Planned unit developments (PUDs) in neighborhood commercial areas shall provide high-quality developments with active ground floor designs that provide for neighborhood commercial uses, vibrant pedestrian spaces and public benefits,

such as housing, affordable housing, and affordable commercial space.

310.21 Action LU-2.1.A: Residential Rezoning

Provide a better match between zoning and existing land uses in residential areas, with a particular focus on:

1. Blocks of well-established, single-family and semi-detached homes that are zoned R-3 or higher;
2. Blocks that consist primarily of row houses that are zoned R-5-B or higher; and
3. Historic districts where the zoning does not match the predominant contributing properties on the block face.

In all three of these instances, consider rezoning to appropriate densities to protect the predominant architectural character and scale of the neighborhood.

310.22 Action LU-2.1.B: Study of Neighborhood Indicators

Conduct an ongoing review with periodic publication of social and economic neighborhood indicators for the purpose of targeting neighborhood investments, particularly for the purposes of achieving neighborhood diversity, equitable development, and fair housing.

310.23 Action LU-2.1.C Study of Land Use Inequalities

Additional study, public engagement, and consideration of the District's history of systemic racism, distinct land use and housing patterns, and understanding of best practices to address land use inequalities are needed to address housing affordability, meet equitable development objectives, and address past land use practices that segregated areas by race and income.

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, effe

ctive 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)).