Through a series of meetings and presentations by Bowser administration officials, the District is seeking residents’ viewpoints on what the city will look like in 25 years.
At the Nov. 15 meeting held at the DC Office of Planning headquarters in Northeast D.C., District resident Kathleen Richardson peppered staffers with questions, such as how changes benefit the community and whether seniors will have to leave their homes for change to take place.
“I came all the way from Ward 8 to attend this because I am curious,” Richardson, 75, told The Informer. “I won’t be around to see 2050 but I want to make sure that my community stays intact as much as possible.”
The DC 2050 process is all about showcasing the city’s growth potential.
“D.C. is projected to have 845,000 residents and one million jobs by 2050,” said Anita Cozart, director of the DC Office of Planning during the Nov. 15 gathering. “DC 2050 will ensure residents across all eight wards benefit from growth with more affordable housing, opportunity-rich neighborhoods and good jobs.”
The DC 2050 meetings and presentations are required by the Home Rule Charter of the District under its Comprehensive Plan, which serves as a blueprint for city growth and a guidepost on such issues as land use, environmental sustainability and controlled economic expansion.
Under the Comprehensive Plan, the two-year process must be approved by the D.C. Council and the mayor for it to be legal and go into effect.
With DC 2050 underway, 50 people took to the city planning headquarters on North Capitol Street NE on Nov. 15 to view charts, weigh in on how they feel neighborhoods should be managed for growth and engage Bowser administration officials.
District Mayor Muriel Bowser embraces the process and encourages residents to express their views in shaping the city’s future in preparation for its halfway mark of the 21st century.
“DC 2050 is our chance to lay out a vision for both current and future residents– one that ensures we have the affordable housing, good jobs, and world-class amenities needed to support a thriving city,” said Bowser. “This plan will help us build on our successes, address challenges, and create a roadmap for a strong and dynamic D.C.— and we want residents to be involved in the process.”
Salmoncan Smith-Shomade, a student at George Washington University, came to the workshop out of curiosity and was impressed with what he saw. However, he wondered how such planning could be possible with the District still seeking statehood.
“There is so much uncertainty. Policies on the federal level can change and that can affect what people are trying to do here. There are so many other factors,” said Smith-Shomade, 21. “But it is great that they are trying to be forward-thinking.”
Workshop Showcases Possibilities for Ward 8, Residents Weigh In
The Explore Possible Futures Workshop, hosted by the DC Office of Planning on Nov. 15, featured colorful poster boards revealing information on easels, instead of having agency staffers and leaders speak to attendees as a group in presentation style.
The first set of posters talked about various residential living communities that could be around in 2050, ranging from small-scale residential, which would consist of mainly single-family homes in neighborhoods, to large scale residential types that highlight apartment-style living and with heights reaching as high as eight stories.
Throughout the two-hour period, Richardson paid close attention to the poster boards and to the staffers who manned them.
“I see that [city officials] have already made up their mind what they want to do,” Richardson said. “This reminds me of a process that happened about 15 or 16 years ago. The city had a presentation at the Anacostia Community Museum about what they wanted to do in that area but hardly anybody showed up to hear them. That is why the area is the way it is.”
The Anacostia neighborhood was pegged as an “urban center” with a mixture of four to eight-story residential and commercial buildings, featuring amenities such as a grocery store, restaurants and places for nightly entertainment.
“In my conversations with people about Anacostia, they told me they don’t want it to become another Georgetown,” said Cozart. “They want Anacostia to be a place that attracts people there.”
Another Ward 8 neighborhood, Fort Stanton, could be large-scale residential with high rise apartment buildings that could be eight stories or higher with housing units and some ground floor retail.
Navy Yard, also in Ward 8, has been deemed a regional center with its high concentration of retail, office and residential units that could reach eight stories.
Naylor Gardens has been labeled predominantly residential that is close to grocery stores and walkable as far as a bus stop is concerned. The Ward 8 community includes homes that are largely detached and range in height from one to three stories.
Another set of poster boards noted the city’s growth by neighborhoods and wards, and Cozart made it clear that not one area will be burdened with planned growth.
“We want the growth to take place everywhere and for everyone to share the burden,”she said. “We know there are some who are excited about the growth and some who are apprehensive about it. We want everyone to feel comfortable about development and will explore different ways to address concerns.”
During a discussion group with Cozart, Sharon Kershbaum, director of the District Department of Transportation, said there would likely not be a predominant mode of transit in the city by 2050.
“There will be people who will always drive their cars,” she said. “What we are doing now is giving people all types of options, whether it is biking, walking, scooters or public transit. We are also not saying every street has to have a bike lane.”
DC Office of Planning officials said the next phase of the process will start in August 2026 and last until June 2027, when the actual plan will be written.
Richardson said more Ward 8 residents need to pay more attention to the DC 2050 process.
“We as a people are reactive instead of being proactive,” she said. “When something happens in our community that we don’t like, we speak up but it’s too late. They have already decided what they are going to do in our community and we had no input because we didn’t pay attention.”