Section 10-A211. GLOBAL CITY, LOCAL CITY

 

211.1One of the most obvious forces influencing planning in the District is the city’s dual role as a world capital and a residential community. There is the Washington of lore, the city of inaugural parades, museums, and monuments-the place that school textbooks describe as “belonging to all of America.” And there is the city most of us know, comprised of neighborhoods, shopping districts, schools, corner stores, churches, and parks. Even the Comprehensive Plan itself is divided into District and Federal Elements, suggesting that federal interests may not always align with the goals of the city’s residents and businesses. 211.1

 

211.2The tension between Washington’s global and local roles plays out in a number of ways. Conflicts around fiscal issues and security have already been noted. Issues such as embassy siting, plans for federal lands, funding for Metrorail, and Congressional oversight on local land use and public facility decisions have been the focus of much debate and discussion in the past. The District itself seems partitioned at times, with the federal government functioning as a “city within the city”. 211.2

 

211.3 Yet in spite of these conflicts, the “federal presence” remains Washington’s most prominent and visible asset. It provides tens of thousands of jobs for District residents, attracts millions of visitors to the city, and sustains cultural institutions that would not otherwise be possible. It makes Washington an international and multi-cultural center, second only to New York on the eastern seaboard. The federal presence requires that our plans take a broader perspective than the metropolitan region, and recognize that we are more susceptible to global events than places like Baltimore, Detroit, and other cities of similar size. 211.3

 

211.4The District’s role in the world economy has become increasingly important during the past 50 years. The Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate has ranked Washington as the top city in the world for foreign investment for three consecutive years. The region is one of the leading gateways for immigration into the United States. We are home to such institutions as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Our emergence as a global center has implications for our communication systems, our transportation and infrastructure needs, our cultural life, and our real estate and development markets. 211.4

 

211.5These changes create vast potential for increased prosperity. But they also create the threat of disruption and a changing identity for many parts of the city. City plans must clearly articulate the values to be preserved and the places to be protected as we contemplate where we as a city hope to be in 20 years and beyond. 211.5

 

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.