• By Bsrat Mezghebe
• April 21, 2023

NCPC Releases Streetscape Design Guidelines: Small–Scale Elements for Public Comment

Washington’s downtown monumental core features some of the most important civic, cultural, and symbolic structures and spaces in the nation. Streetscape elements inform the area’s design character and physical quality and contribute to the experience enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

On April 17, NCPC released the Draft Streetscape Design Guidelines: Small-Scale Elements. These guidelines inform the placement and characteristics of streetscape furnishings and civic infrastructure including benches, waste receptacles, bicycle racks, and utility boxes, among others, in and around the National Mall. NCPC, together with the federal and District agencies responsible for these streetscapes, developed these guidelines to provide a coordinated approach to ensure the area’s beauty and functionality.

The public can review and comment on the draft guidelines from April 17 to June 20, 2023. Public input is critical to finalizing the guidelines, which are a part of a larger initiative to update the 1992 National Mall Streetscape Manual (see the Initiative Page linked below). NCPC also welcomes the public to attend two upcoming online meetings on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 from 12:30 – 1:30 PM and Wednesday, May 17 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM to learn more and share their thoughts. Presentations will be the same at both meetings.

Initiative Page May 9 Event May 17 Event