Section 10-A217. MANAGING GROWTH AND CHANGE: GUIDING PRINCIPLES

 

217.11. Change in the District of Columbia is both inevitable and desirable. The key is to manage change in ways that protect the positive aspects of life in the city and reduce negatives such as poverty, crime, and homelessness. 217.1

 

217.22. A city must be diverse to thrive, and the District cannot sustain itself by only attracting small, affluent households. To retain residents and attract a diverse population, the city should provide services that support families. A priority must be placed on sustaining and promoting safe neighborhoods offering health care, quality education, transportation, child care, parks, libraries, arts and cultural facilities, and housing for families. 217.2

 

217.33. Diversity also means maintaining and enhancing the District’s mix of housing types. Housing should be developed for households of different sizes, including growing families as well as singles and couples. 217.3

 

217.44. The District needs both residential and non-residential growth to survive. Nonresidential growth benefits residents by creating jobs and opportunities for less affluent households to increase their income. 217.4

 

217.55. Much of the growth that is forecast during the next 20 years is expected to occur on large sites that are currently isolated from the rest of the city. Rather than letting these sites develop as gated or self-contained communities, they should become part of the city’s urban fabric through the continuation of street patterns, open space corridors and compatible development patterns where they meet existing neighborhoods. Since the District is landlocked, its large sites must be viewed as extraordinarily valuable assets. Not all should be used right away-some should be “banked” for the future. 217.5

 

217.66. Redevelopment and infill opportunities along corridors and near transit stations will be an important component of reinvigorating and enhancing our neighborhoods. Development on such sites must not compromise the integrity of stable neighborhoods and must be designed to respect the broader community context. Adequate infrastructure capacity should be ensured as growth occurs. 217.6

 

217.77. Growth in the District benefits not only District residents, but the region as well. By accommodating a larger number of jobs and residents, we can create the critical mass needed to support new services, sustain public transit, and improve regional environmental quality. 217.7

 

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.