D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 909
909.1 The sense of place in the District’s neighborhoods is a function of their cultural history, physical features, visual qualities, and resident mix. Those neighborhoods with a strong sense of place tend to share certain walkable and well-connected centers, well-defined edges, attractive streets, and character-defining architecture. This is most apparent in Washington, DC’s historic districts, but it is also true in non-designated row house neighborhoods and in single-family neighborhoods where particular architectural styles, setbacks, and building forms prevail. Especially in row house neighborhoods, the repetitive use of form, materials, color, and spacing creates a sense of solidarity that transcends each individual structure.
909.2 Significant population growth in Washington, DC is placing pressure on very neighborhood to grow and change. One challenge is how to design and incorporate new affordable housing at varying levels of affordability, along with more family-sized housing, throughout the District. Many neighborhoods in Washington offer solutions on how to incorporate different housing types while maintaining neighborhood character (see Figures 9.14 and 9.15). A close examination of neighborhoods like Columbia Heights, Glover Park, and historic Anacostia show that infill development can be added to the District’s historic neighborhoods. While overpowering contrasts in scale and height should be avoided, thoughtful design can make moderate variations in height and scale compatible. Encourage use of high-quality materials that are durable and rich in texture and incorporate character-defining details. Continue established alignments and landscaping elements.
909.3 Figure 9.14: DC Neighborhoods with Diverse Housing
909.4
Figure 9.15: DC Neighborhoods with Diverse Housing
909.5
Strengthen the visual qualities of Washington, DC’s neighborhoods as infill development and building renovations occur by encouraging the use of high-quality and high-performance architectural designs and materials. In neighborhoods with diverse housing types, or when introducing more diverse infill housing types, use design measures to create visual and spatial compatibility.
909.6
Preserve the architectural continuity and design integrity of historic districts and other areas of strong architectural character. New development, additions, and renovations within such areas do not need to replicate prevailing architectural styles exactly but should be complementary.
See the Historic Preservation Element for additional policies and actions related to historic districts.
909.7
Figure 9.16: Encouraged Transitions in Building Intensity and Scale
909.8
Undertake strategic and coordinated efforts to create neighborhood mixed-use centers that reinforce community identity and form compact, walkable environments with a broad mix of housing types, employment opportunities, neighborhood shops and services, and civic uses and public spaces. New buildings and projects should support the compact development of neighborhood centers and increase the diversity of uses and creation of public spaces where needed.
909.9
Design transitions between large- and small-scale development. The relationship between taller, more visually prominent buildings and lower, smaller buildings (such as single-family or row houses) can be made more pleasing and gradual through a variety of context-specific design strategies, such as a slender massing of taller elements, stepping back the building at floors above its neighbors' predominant roof line, stepping a building's massing down to meet the roof line of its neighbors, or strategic placement of taller elements to mark corners, vista terminations, or large open-space frontages.
New construction, infill development, redevelopment, and renovations to existing buildings should respond to and complement the defining visual and spatial qualities of the surrounding neighborhood, particularly regarding building roof lines, setbacks, and landscaping. Avoid overpowering contrasts of scale and height as infill development occurs.
New developments on parcels that are larger than the prevailing neighborhood lot size shall be carefully integrated with adjacent sites. Structures on such parcels should be broken into smaller, more varied forms, particularly where the prevailing street frontage is characterized by small, older buildings with varying facades. Incorporate existing assets, such as historic buildings and significant natural landscapes, into the design of redeveloped large sites. For sites that were originally planned as integrated complexes of multiple buildings, historic groupings of structures should be conserved where possible. (see Figure 9.17 for examples of breaking up the massing of development on lots larger than the prevailing neighborhood lot size).
Ensure that infill development respects and improves the integrity of
neighborhood open spaces and public areas. Buildings should be designed to minimize the loss of sunlight and maximize the usability of neighborhood parks and plazas. Buildings adjacent to parks or natural areas should orient their entrances or other community-serving functions toward these shared resources.
Urban design plans for large sites shall consider not only the site itself but also the context of surrounding neighborhoods, including the continuation of and connection to existing street grids.
Site plan large sites to minimize the risk of flooding to buildings and extreme heat and other climate impacts. Preserve natural resources and implement stormwater management best practices, while maintaining active building frontages and pedestrian-focused streetscapes.
Also See Parks and Open Space, Land Use, and Environmental Protection elements for additional information.
Complete a Scale Transition Study to evaluate options for improving design compatibility between larger-scale and lower-scale areas. The study should respond to the varying situations where larger-scale development is (or will be) situated adjacent to lower-scale, predominantly residential neighborhoods. It should include design guidelines and provisions for buffers (including open space), stepping down of building heights, and solutions that reflect the different lot dimensions, block faces, and street and alley widths found in different parts of the District.
Explore awards and incentives to promote excellence in the design of new buildings and public spaces. Recommendations should include incentives for facade features, window placement, courtyards, buffering, and other exterior architectural elements that improve the compatibility of structures, including roof structures, with their surroundings while promoting high architectural quality and allowing for innovative, contemporary design.
Conduct a review of the District's affordable housing policies, buildings, and zoning regulations to identify impediments that inhibit affordable housing from achieving high quality design. Produce a list of recommended changes to these codes, policies, and supplement with a form-based guide that outlines how new dwelling units can be better integrated into existing neighborhoods.
909.19 Action UD-2.2.D: Urban Design Strategies for Resilient Communities Research best practices and develop recommendations and urban design and guidelines to mitigate manmade and natural hazards, such as flooding and climate threats, while meeting other urban design goals.
909.20 Action UD-2.2.E: Design Guidelines for Large Sites Develop design guidelines as part of the review process for large site developments. These guidelines should address building appearance, streetscape, signage and utilities, parking, landscaping, buffering, protection of historic resources, compatibility of development with surrounding neighborhoods, and environmental sustainability.
See Land Use Element for additional policies, actions and definitions for large sites.
909.21 Action UD-4.2.F: Design Guidelines Develop illustrated design guidelines for private residential areas and commercial uses addressing such architectural and resilient aspects as facade design, building texture and materials, lighting, detail, signage, and building- to-street relationship. Design guidelines should allow for flexibility and creativity, and in most cases should be performance-oriented rather than based on rigid standards.
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)).