D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 902
902.1 Washington DC's civic identity is defined by a particular set of physical features, including the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, the topographic bowl around the original city laid out by L'Enfant and the rolling hills beyond, the open spaces and dense tree canopy of its parks and neighborhoods, and the wide diagonal avenues, rectangular street grids, and circles, squares, and triangular parks. The District is further defined by its built form, which includes a horizontal skyline punctuated by civic landmarks, park-like streets, and pedestrian-scale architecture.
902.2 The character of the District's center has largely been shaped by the L'Enfant Plan, 19th century public space improvements, building height restrictions including the federal 1910 Height of Buildings Act, and the McMillan Plan. The L'Enfant Plan in particular is responsible for the radial arrangement of streets, wide streets, creation of signature views, distribution of public spaces, and many irregular and prominent building sites. Immediately beyond the District's center, much of the Washington, DC urban pattern consists of walkable, compact communities within L'Enfant's original grid of streets. A ring of more than a dozen well-defined neighborhoods lie within two miles of the edge of the National Mall and have the best features of traditional urbanism—housing near open space and transit, pedestrian-oriented shopping streets, and densities that create active street life. Beyond this ring, Washington, DC's hills and valleys include many more neighborhoods that were shaped by the Olmsted Highway Plan and former streetcar lines; these neighborhoods are defined more by domestic-scale architecture, tree cover, and topography, and flank major gateways to the District.
902.3 The impact of past urban design decisions has not all been positive. The urban renewal and freeway building efforts of the 1950s and '60s resulted in physical barriers between many communities and the displacement of primarily Black residents to other parts of the District. Future design decisions must help to reconcile some of the inequities that persist in the District and respond to varying conditions, changing the District's image from that of a divided city to one that is much more inclusive and connected. In this regard, reinforcing the design of Washington, DC's historic plan and access to natural features through exceptional urban design provides opportunities for achieving a shared civic identity.
902.4 The text below is organized to respond to the following topics, each related to the urban pattern and identity of the District as a whole:
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)).