Information Presentation Commission Meeting : July 10, 2014 PROJECT NCPC FILE NUMBER Federal Urban Design Element of the CP01C Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital Washington, D.C. NCPC MAP FILE NUMBER N/A REVIEW AUTHORITY Preparation and Adoption of SUBMITTED BY Federal Elements of the NCPC Staff Comprehensive Plan pursuant to 40 U.S.C. § 8721 PRESENTER Lucy Kempf In 2011, the staff of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) began crafting a new Urban Design Element for inclusion within the Federal Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. While the existing Federal Elements contain policies that pertain to urban design, a focused Federal Urban Design Element had not been prepared. In July 2011, an Urban Design Task Force worked with staff and guided policy development for the new Element. NCPC also held two separate workshops to gain stakeholder and public input. Staff released a draft Urban Design Element on November 1, 2012 for a 60-day public comment period. Following the release of the Urban Design Element, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform directed NCPC to jointly prepare a study of the 1910 Height of Buildings Act with the District of Columbia. NCPC staff placed the Urban Design Element on hold until completion of the Height Master Plan Study (Height Study), which produced relevant technical information, visual modeling studies, and extensive public input. NCPC submitted its portion of the final Height Study to Congress in November 2013, which addressed national interests in the form and character of the city. In 2014, Congress passed H.R. 4192, which President Obama signed into law. The limited scope of the law’s language is consistent with NCPC’s final recommendations to Congress, which both affirm the continuing importance of the Height Act and federal interests in the form and character of the city. NCPC staff are now preparing an updated and expanded draft Urban Design Element. This updated draft reflects the earlier guidance and contributions of the Task Force and the public comments received on the original draft. It will also incorporate new material related to height, views, and the public realm derived from technical work for the Height Study and the Commission ’s final recommendations. Over the next several months, staff intends to share the new material related to height, views and the public realm with the public online and through informal public meetings and anticipates providing informational briefings to the Commission. Staff plans to bring the updated draft Urban Design Element to the full Commission in the fall for formal public comment.
Information Presentation Page 2 NCPC File No. CP01C ATTACHED: A. Draft Introduction to the Urban Design Element B. Proposed Urban Design Element Policy Outline PROJECT TIMELINE November 18, 2013 – Commission approval of the Final Previous actions Recommendations and Final Height Study Report for Washington, DC November 1, 2012 – Commission release draft Urban Design Element for public comment. Fall 2014 – Release draft Urban Design Element for a 60-day public Remaining actions (anticipated) comment period. Summer and Fall 2014 – Public and Stakeholder Outreach. Winter 2014 – Final adoption of the Urban Design Element.
DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY – URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT BRIEFING MATERIALS ATTACHMENT A DRAFT INTRODUCTION TO THE FEDERAL URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT Urban design is the practice of shaping the built environment of a city, town or neighborhood. Urban design operates on two scales: the larger scale, which addresses entire streetscapes, public spaces, and other urban systems; and the smaller scale, which addresses the on-the-ground pedestrian experience. Urban design establishes practices for creating functional, sustainable, lively, and engaging places. Urban design policy in Washington must meet these objectives but also an elevated standard. As the nation’s capital and one of the great planned cities of the world, Washington is a study of how emblematic meaning is attached to physical form. Thus, the shape of the cityscape is strongly linked to its nationally symbolic image and civic character, and perhaps most importantly, how it is experienced. Engaging people in the public realm is a vital part of American civic life, and it is rooted in L’Enfant’s original plan for the city, which reinforces many democratic ideals. Washington’s urban design policy must capture those elements of form, character and experience that make the city an authentic, distinctive place. In addition to its role as national symbol, Washington must also confront issues that all cities face, such as managing long-term growth and providing necessary infrastructure and services. The need to innovate and to evolve to address key challenges are hallmarks of city planning and an important dimension of urban design. How c an we balance Washington’s role as national symbol with its aspirations for a vital 21 st century city? The implication of this question prompts many issues for urban design policy. For example, is our public realm sacred, adaptable, or both? Can we infuse vitality into the street-level experience, while continuing to visually reinforce the city’s iconic civic character ? How can we locate federal facilities in local communities within the city and region in a way that meets mutual goals and promotes sound urban design principles? The central purpose of the Urban Design Element is to assert a vision for the form, character and experience of the nation’s capital and environs, with an emphasis on national resources. The Element should operate at two levels. First, it should set forth goals that enhance Washington’s unique urban design framework, including its public realm, natural setting, and symbolic image. Of particular emphasis are the streets and public spaces that frame or contribute to major scenic or symbolic areas or that serve as important connections, edges or boundaries to special settings of national importance. Second, the Element should set forth urban design principles related to Washington’s role as t he seat of the federal government, such as best planning practices for federal buildings and campus master plans. The federal element should complement the District of Columbia’s urban design element and related County plans, which provide a fine-grained, detailed level of guidance for the area’s many neighborhoods and commercial areas. 1
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