Modeling Index

Approach 1: No height increase
1A: Maintain the existing Height Act
1B: Allow penthouse occupancy (with or without setback)
  Approach 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
 
Approach 3: Raise the height limit in selected areas
3A: The L'Enfant City
3B: The Topographic Bowl outside the L'Enfant City
3C: Illustrative clusters
  Approach 4: Raise the height limit citywide
 
USEFUL DEFINITIONS
  • The Height Act is a federal law which provides uniform restrictions on the height of all buildings within the District of Columbia boundaries.
  • The L'Enfant City (also known as Washington City) generally includes all areas bounded by Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, Florida Avenue and the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.
  • The Topographic Bowl generally defines the boundaries of the original L'Enfant City. The bottom of the bowl is where the White House and U.S. Capitol are located. The edge of the bowl is generally bounded by Florida Avenue and extends to the ridge of hills in Anacostia and Arlington, Virginia.
  • Illustrative Clusters are examples of sites located across the District that were modeled at taller heights and that meet certain criteria such as medium and high density designation on the District of Columbia's Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map, adjacency to transit, and/or development opportunities.
  • Existing federal buildings and designated historic properties were not modeled at various height scenarios
All images © DC Office of Planning
Location Type Approach/Description
Shadow Study Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
11th Street Bridge Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
11th Street Bridge Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
14th Street, NW Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
19th Street, NW (View north toward Dupont Circle) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
19th Street, NW (View south away from Dupont Circle) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Air Force Memorial Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Air Force Memorial Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Air Force Memorial Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L’Enfant City within Topographic Bowl
Air Force Memorial Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Arlington Cemetery Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Arlington Cemetery Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L’Enfant City within Topographic Bowl
Arlington Cemetery Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L'Enfant City
Arlington Cemetery Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Buzzard Point (Skyline view from Frederick Douglass Bridge) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Buzzard Point (Skyline view from 11th Street Bridge) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Congress Heights (Aerial view from Walter Reed) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Congress Heights (Aerial view from North Capitol Street) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
F Street, NW (Looking east towards the National Portrait Gallery) Shadow Study 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
F Street, NW (Looking west towards the Treasury Building) Shadow Study 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
F Street, NW (Looking east towards the National Portrait Gallery) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
F Street, NW (Looking west towards the Treasury Building) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Farragut (Aerial view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Farragut (Aerial view from Meridian Hill Park) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Farragut (Skyline view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Farragut (Skyline view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Farragut (Skyline view from Meridian Hill Park) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Farragut (Skyline view from Jefferson Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Federal Center, SW (Aerial view from Meridian Hill Park) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Federal Center, SW (Aerial view from Arlington National Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Federal Center, SW (Skyline view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Federal Center, SW (Skyline view from Gravelly Point) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Federal Center, SW (Skyline view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Federal Center, SW (Aerial view from North Capitol Street) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Federal Center, SW (Aerial view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Florida Avenue Market (Aerial view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Florida Avenue Market (Aerial view from New York Avenue) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Florida Avenue Market (Aerial view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Florida Avenue Market (Aerial view from North Capitol Street) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Florida Avenue Market (Skyline view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Franklin Square (View west from 13th Street, NW) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Frederick Douglass Bridge Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Frederick Douglass Bridge Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Frederick Douglass House Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Frederick Douglass House Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L'Enfant City
Frederick Douglass House Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L'Enfant City but within Topographic Bowl
Frederick Douglass House Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Friendship Heights (Aerial view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Georgia Avenue, NW Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Georgia Avenue, NW Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L'Enfant City but within Topographic Bowl
Gravelly Point Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Gravelly Point Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Intelsat (Aerial view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Jefferson Memorial Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Jefferson Memorial Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L'Enfant City but within Topographic Bowl
Jefferson Memorial Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Jefferson Memorial Skyline 4: Change Height Cap City Wide
K Street / 5th Street, NW (Aerial view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
K Street NW / 16th Street Street 1B: Allow Penthouse Occupancy
L'Enfant Plaza (Aerial view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Aerial view from Meridian Hill Park) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Aerial view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Aerial view from North Capitol Street) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Aerial view from Lincoln Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Aerial view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Skyline view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Skyline view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Skyline view from Gravelly Point) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
L'Enfant Plaza (Skyline view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Lincoln Memorial Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Lincoln Memorial Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Lincoln Memorial Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L'Enfant City but within Topographic Bowl
Lincoln Memorial Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
22nd Street / M Street , NW (Aerial view from Meridian Hill Park) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
22nd Street / M Street , NW (Skyline view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
22nd Street / M Street , NW (Skyline view from Meridian Hill Park) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
22nd Street / M Street , NW (Skyline view from Jefferson Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Maryland Avenue, NE Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Maryland Avenue, NE Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L'Enfant City within Topographic Bowl
Maryland Avenue, NE Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Massachusetts Avenue (Looking east from 4th Street) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Massachusetts Avenue (Looking east from 11th Street) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Massachusetts Avenue (Looking east from New Jersey) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Massachusetts Avenue (Looking west to Dupont Circle) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Meridian Hill Park Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Meridian Hill Park Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L'Enfant City but within Topographic Bowl
Meridian Hill Park Skyline 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Meridian Hill Park Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
New York Avenue, NE Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
North Capitol Street Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
North Capitol Street Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
North Capitol Street (Looking south) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Armed Forces Retirement Home (Aerial view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Armed Forces Retirement Home (Aerial view from Walter Reed) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Armed Forces Retirement Home (Skyline view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (Looking east to the US Capitol) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (Looking west to the Treasury Building) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Skyline 3B: Raise Height outside L’Enfant City within Topographic Bowl
Poplar Point (View from Walter Reed) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Poplar Point (Aerial view from North Capitol Street) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Rhode Island Avenue, NE (Aerial view from Air Force Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Rhode Island Avenue, NE (Aerial view from New York Ave, NE) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Rhode Island Avenue, NE (Aerial view from Walter Reed) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Rhode Island Avenue, NE (Aerial view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Scott Circle (View east from 17th Street, NW) Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
South Capitol Street Street 1A: Maintain the existing Height Act
Thomas Circle Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
US Capitol Building (View from west steps) Skyline 3A: Raise Height in L’Enfant City
Walter Reed Aerial 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Washington Circle Street 2: Reinforce the relationship between street width and building height
Waterfront Station (Aerial view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Aerial view from North Capitol Street) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Aerial view from Lincoln Memorial) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Aerial view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Skyline view from Arlington Cemetery) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Skyline view from Gravelly Point) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Skyline view from Frederick Douglass Bridge) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Skyline view from 11th Street Bridge) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters
Waterfront Station (Skyline view from Frederick Douglass House) Illustrative areas 3C: Raise Height in Illustrative Clusters