Section 10-A700. OVERVIEW

 

700.1The Economic Development Element addresses the future of the District’s economy and the creation of economic opportunity for current and future District residents. It includes strategies to sustain Washington’s major industries, diversify our economy, accommodate job growth, maintain small businesses and neighborhood commercial districts, and increase access to employment for District residents. 700.1

 

700.2The critical economic development issues facing the District of Columbia are addressed in this Element. These include:

 

•Defining the District's role in the national and regional economies

 

•Increasing job opportunities for District residents

 

•Identifying locations for future job growth

 

•Expanding opportunities for small, local, and minority businesses

 

•Enhancing and revitalizing the city's shopping districts. 700.2

 

700.3Economic development is about more than simply increasing the number of jobs and improving the District’s finances. It is also about fostering good quality jobs with higher wages and better preparing District residents to fill those jobs. It is about spreading the benefits of our strong regional economy more equitably and providing career advancement opportunities for working parents, young adults, and others. Economic development strategies are also critical to improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and bringing shopping, restaurants, and basic services to communities that do not have these amenities today. 700.3

 

700.4In recent decades, the District has faced chronic negative trends that have limited its ability to meet the needs of many residents. These trends include population loss, job decline, high unemployment and poverty rates, fiscal insolvency, and the loss of spending power to the suburbs. Economic indicators also point to growing geographic disparities, with areas in the northwest portion of the city particularly advantaged and areas east of the Anacostia River particularly disadvantaged. While there have been positive signs on many fronts since 2000, the historic east-west divide in the city has only deepened. 700.4

 

700.5In 1950, the District accounted for nearly 75 percent of the metropolitan area’s employment. By 2000, it accounted for less than 25 percent. While these statistics appear startling, the real story is the growth of the regional economy rather than the decline of the District’s. In fact, the number of jobs in the District has remained fairly constant over the decades. In 1980, there were 666,000 jobs and in 2000, there were about 672,000 jobs. As shown in Figure 7.1, employment in the District did decline from 1990 to 1998, but it has been growing ever since. 700.5

 

700.6Figure 7.1: Employment in the District

 

http://planning.dc.gov/planning/frames.asp?doc=/planning/lib/planning/2006_revised_comp_plan/7_econdevelopment.pdf.

 

700.7Economic Development Element

 

The economic paradoxes of the District of Columbia have been widely documented. The city has more jobs than residents but an unemployment rate that is twice the regional average. Jobs in the District provide some of the highest wages in the country, but over 20 percent of the city’s residents live below the poverty line. The region has the fastest annual job growth rate in the country (2.3 percent), yet unemployment in the city is rising. Billions of dollars of income are generated in the District, the majority of which the city is unable to tax because its earners live in other states. 700.7

 

700.8Fortunately, some of the negative trends of the past are showing signs of reversal. Between 2000 and 2005, the District captured a much larger share of regional employment growth than it did in the 1980s and 1990s. It is positioned at the center of a regional economy that is strong and growing; total employment in the metropolitan area is approaching 3 million, the highest of any region in the country with a comparably-sized central city. Since 1997, the District has seen significant private-sector employment growth, particularly in high-value industries such as legal services, technology consulting, and similar sectors. It is outperforming the region in legal services and scientific research and development. 700.8

 

700.9The recent housing boom and increase in property values has increased personal wealth for many long-time District homeowners and substantially enhanced city revenues. Downtown retail has begun to rebound after years of decline, and neighborhood shopping districts like U Street and Barracks Row are thriving again. After decades in which retailers shunned areas east of 16th Street NW, new supermarkets are being developed east of the Anacostia River, national/brand tenants are arriving in Columbia Heights and a cultural district is emerging along H Street NE. Tourism has rebounded since 2001 and 1,200 hotel rooms are now under construction. 700.9

 

700.10Over the next twenty years, the District is projected to add 125,000 jobs. The single greatest economic development challenge facing the city will be to link more of these jobs to District residents. This will not only create wealth and opportunity within the city, it will offset commuter traffic, reduce social service expenses, and improve the quality of life for thousands of households. Confronting this challenge successfully will require a multi-pronged strategy to improve our educational system, increase vocational training, strengthen workforce preparedness, and improve the regional transportation network to support job access. 700.10

 

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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.