Section 10-A800. OVERVIEW

 

800.1This Element addresses the future of parks, recreation, and open space in the District of Columbia. It recognizes the important role parks play in recreation, aesthetics, neighborhood character, and environmental quality. It includes policies on related topics such as recreational facility development, the use of private open space, and the creation of trails to better connect the city’s open spaces and neighborhoods. 800.1

 

800.2The critical parks, recreation and open space issues facing the District of Columbia are addressed in this Element. These include:

 

•Coordination between the District of Columbia and the federal government on park and open space planning and management

 

•Providing additional recreational land and facilities in areas of the city that are currently underserved and in newly developing areas

 

•Maintaining, upgrading, and improving existing parks and recreation facilities as key features of successful neighborhoods in the District. 800.2

 

800.3The District has benefited from a legacy of far-sighted master plans that recognized the importance of parks and open space to the future of the city. The McMillan Plan of 1901 was prepared in part to beautify and better organize the District’s open spaces-the National Mall and Rock Creek Park that we know today are among its legacies. Many of the early plans prepared by the National Capital Parks and Planning Commission placed a similar emphasis on improving the city’s open spaces and parkways. 800.3

 

800.4These historic plans have resulted in 7,600 acres of permanent open space and parkland in the District of Columbia, and one of the highest ratios of park acreage per resident in the country. Nonetheless, when the District achieved Home Rule and set about developing its first Comprehensive Plan, a “park and open space element” was not included. This responsibility was left to the federal government, primarily because over 85 percent of the District’s parkland is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and is not under the city’s jurisdiction1. 800.4

 

800.5Many of the policies within this Element express the District’s perspectives on the federally-owned parks that serve city residents. While the District has limited jurisdiction over these parks, the Comprehensive Plan and supports the essential role that these lands play in meeting the recreational needs of District of Columbia residents, employees, and visitors. 800.5

 

1 Policies for the Park Service lands are contained in individual General Management Plans prepared by the NPS, and are also included in the Federal Elements of the Comprehensive Plan. There have also been several joint District/Federal park planning initiatives launched since the 1960s.

 

800.6Including a chapter on parks, recreation, and open space in the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan is important for a number of reasons:

 

•First, the District itself owns over 900 acres of parkland and there is a need for a coordinated set of policies for their management.

 

•Second, access to quality parks and open space is a top priority for District residents-regardless of who owns the land. The fact that most of the city's open space is federally controlled suggests that joint policy planning for these assets is essential.

 

•Third, the city is changing, which means recreational needs also are changing. Policies are needed to make sure that new park and recreational opportunities are provided and existing parks are improved to meet the needs of a changing and expanding population. 800.6

 

800.7The Comprehensive Plan is supplemented by a more detailed Parks Master Plan prepared by the District Department of Parks and Recreation in 2005- 2006. That document should be consulted for more detailed guidance on facilities, recreational programming, and direction for specific District parks. Key data from the Parks Master Plan, including “benchmarking” data that compares the District to peer cities and the findings of a 2005 resident survey, are cited in this Element to provide context for the policies and actions. 800.7

 

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.