Section 10-A1400. OVERVIEW

 

1400.1The Arts and Culture Element provides policies and actions dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the arts in the District of Columbia. Its focus is on strengthening the role of the arts in shaping the physical form of our city. 1400.1

 

1400.2The key issues facing the District of Columbia as it seeks to foster and enhance arts and culture include:

 

•Improving the distribution of arts facilities throughout the city

 

•Increasing public art in new and refurbished public construction

 

•Retaining existing clusters of arts establishments and encouraging the designation of new Arts Districts

 

•Creating a civic culture that attracts the creative class. 1400.2

 

1400.3Washington is already one of the country’s leading cultural centers. Its breadth of artistic achievement encompasses many disciplines, cultures, individuals and organizations. The District is home to the Smithsonian Institution, several museums of fine art, and a world-class symphony, ballet, and opera. From the jazz clubs of U Street to the daily literary events at local bookstores, its neighborhoods also enjoy a cultural legacy that is distinctly Washington’s. Over the past decade, the District has consistently ranked among the top states in per capita spending on the arts. Among American cities, the city is second only to New York in the number of live theater seats. 1400.3

 

1400.4The Arts and Culture Element charts a course toward transforming the District into an even more vibrant cultural capital in the future than it is today. It acknowledges the contribution of the arts to the city’s economy and supports investment in the arts in order to provide new jobs, goods, and services. The Element also helps sustain the arts as an expression of local values and a source of community identity. Fostering the arts can help make Washington a more “Inclusive City” by helping all residents to express and realize their creative potential. 1400.4

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.