Section 10-A205. LAND USE CHANGES

 

205.1In terms of land area, Washington is not a large city. At 69 square miles, it is half the size of Denver or Philadelphia, and one-fifth the size of Dallas or San Diego. It is hemmed in by adjacent cities and states and cannot grow through annexation. The District is also the sixth densest city in America, with over 9,000 people per square mile. Population density is even higher when federal lands-which comprise almost 40 percent of the District of Columbia-are subtracted out. Land is a precious and limited resource here. 205.1

 

205.2Figure 2.5 shows how land in the District is currently used. About 28 percent of the city is developed with housing, and more than one quarter is developed with street rights-of-way. About 20 percent of the city’s land area consists of permanent open space, including Rock Creek Park and the National Mall. About 600 acres of the city-or 1.5 percent of its land area-consists of vacant land. 205.2

 

205.3Figure 2.5: Land Use Distribution, 2005

 

http://planning.dc.gov/planning/frames.asp?doc=/planning/lib/planning/2006_revised_comp_plan/2_framework.pdf.

 

205.4These statistics alone do not tell the full story of land use in the District. Since 1899, building height has been strictly regulated, giving the District a low visual profile and preventing the construction of buildings over about 14 stories tall. In addition, much of the city consists of historic districts with limited capacity for growth. Even many of the areas that are not “officially” historic are fully developed and have little potential for change. 205.4

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205.5Despite these limitations, there is room for growth in the District of Columbia. Key opportunities include government lands, underused commercial and industrial sites, and vacant buildings. Other sites, including failed housing projects and ailing business districts, also present opportunities. There are also hundreds of small “infill” sites scattered throughout the city, especially in the northeast and southeast quadrants. Together, these areas hold the potential for thousands of new units of housing and millions of square feet of office and retail space. 205.5

 

205.6Fitting such development into the fabric of a mature city creates a number of challenges. One is displacement, a threat that has become more real in the District as land values have increased. Displacement not only affects District residents-particularly those of lower income-it also affects businesses and municipal operations that may be dislocated by rising rents and land prices. 205.6

 

205.7Whether the issue is displacement, the sitting of locally undesirable uses, parking impacts, or threats to neighborhood character and stability, development creates tension in the District of Columbia. This tension will only mount as growth pressures increase, making it even more important to have sound land use policies and development review procedures that mitigate the effects of competing and conflicting uses. 205.7

 

205.8Figure 2.6 depicts the location of residential development in the city between 2000 and 2005. Of the 7,700 units of housing added, about one-third were located in Central Washington and 15 percent were located in Near Northwest. The Mid-City and Upper Northwest areas each absorbed about 12 percent of the District’s housing growth. About 20 percent of the new housing units were located east of the Anacostia River. However, much of this housing replaced units that were demolished, resulting in a very small net increase. 205.8

 

205.9Figure 2.6: Housing Development Activity, 2000-2005

 

http://planning.dc.gov/planning/frames.asp?doc=/planning/lib/planning/2006_revised_comp_plan/2_framework.pdf.

 

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.