CapitalSpace
Achieving the Full Potential of Washington’s Parks
CapitalSpace is a partnership initiative of NCPC, the National Park Service, and the District of Columbia to develop shared strategies for working together on parks and open space throughout Washington, D.C., particularly in the city’s neighborhoods. The CapitalSpace plan represents the first time in almost 40 years that a comprehensive analysis of all of Washington’s parks and open spaces has been undertaken.
The Commission adopted the final CapitalSpace plan on April 1, 2010. Staff is now working on priority action items and will continue to work with partnering agencies to implement the plan’s recommendations. Dozens of civic leaders, organizations, and individuals helped shape the plan through comments and opinions shared during a 60-day public comment period. You can read more about the Commission’s action in the Executive Director’s Report.
CapitalSpace recommends actions to:
- Coordinate planning and management
- Attract resources for improvement and upkeep
- Expand public access
- Build community stewardship
- Enhance environmental sustainability
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Six Big Ideas: |
Link the Fort Circle Parks…
- create a connective greenway to expand public access
- increase awareness of their historic, cultural, and environmental resources
- invest in upkeep and develop interpretive opportunities
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Improve Public Schoolyards…
- develop improvement strategy in conjunction with school modernization program
- increase public access, preserve community recreation space, and connect kids with the environment
- clarify maintenance responsibilities and create partnerships to provide enhancements
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Enhance Natural Areas…
- form a Wild Spaces Team to build community stewardship for natural resources
- adopt shared goals and guidelines for long-term management
- develop green infrastructure to cleanse the air and water naturally
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Improve Playfields…
- maintain current levels of service and increase capacity
- simplify permitting process by creating single point of public contact
- coordinate fees, signage, and enforcement of playfield use among agencies
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Enhance Center City Parks…
- strengthen their identity
- expand programs and amenities
- build long-term support through public/private partnerships
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Transform Small Parks…
- adopt a system-wide approach to planning and management
- promote investment across entire system
- identify funding opportunities unique to small parks
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