D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 317
317.1 Institutional uses occupy almost 2,300 acres—an area larger than all of Washington, DC’s retail, office, and hotel uses combined. These uses include colleges and universities, private schools, childcare facilities, places of worship and other religious facilities, hospitals, private and nonprofit organizations, and similar entities.
317.2 The District is home to about a dozen colleges and universities, enrolling more than 85,000 students. There are also nearly 70 non-local college and university programs that occupy space in Washington, DC. The District contains more than a dozen hospitals, some located on the campuses of its universities and others occupying their own campuses or federal enclaves. Hundreds of nonprofit and private institutions also operate within the District, ranging from private schools and seminaries to historic home museums and the headquarters of leading international organizations. Major institutional uses are shown on Map 3.7.
317.3 Map 3.7: Colleges, Universities, and Hospitals
317.4
Institutions make an important contribution to the District economy and are an integral part of Washington, DC's landscape and history. The colleges and universities alone employ 29,682 workers. Through partnerships with government and private industry, museums, higher education, and health care institutions provide services and resources to the community that could not possibly be provided by the government alone.
317.5 Private institutions are stewards of historic and architecturally distinguished campuses. Several of these campuses are already recognized by historic designations but other historically significant campuses are not.
317.6 The growth of private institutions has generated significant concern in many neighborhoods. These concerns relate both to external impacts, such as traffic and parking, and broader concerns about the character of communities where institutions are concentrated or expanding.
Please see the Educational Facilities Element for additional policies and actions related to colleges and universities.
Support ongoing efforts by institutions to mitigate their traffic and parking impacts by promoting ridesharing, carpooling, public transportation, shuttle service and bicycling; providing on-site parking; and undertaking other transportation demand management measures.
Support continued corporate citizenship among large institutions, including colleges, universities, hospitals, private schools, and nonprofits. Given the large land area occupied by these uses and their prominence in the community, institutions (along with the District itself) should be encouraged to be role models for smaller employers in efforts to improve the physical environment. This should include a continued commitment to high-quality architecture and design on local campuses, expanded use of green building methods and low-impact development, and adaptive reuse and preservation of historic buildings.
Please see the Economic Development Element for additional policies and actions related to encouraging corporations to support the local economy through hiring and contracting.
Plan, design, and manage large nonprofits, service organizations, private schools, seminaries, colleges and universities, and other institutional uses that occupy large sites within residential areas in a way that minimizes objectionable impacts on adjacent communities. Expansion of these areas should not be permitted if the quality of life in adjacent residential areas is significantly adversely impacted.
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)).