Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the launch of the district’s new comprehensive plan, which officials say will be the first rewriting of the city’s road map in nearly 20 years.
The effort, titled DC 2050, will focus on Washington’s 25-year outlook as the city continues to grow and face challenges, such as crime and housing shortages. Bowser and the D.C. Office of Planning announced the effort at an event on Monday.
“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,” Bowser said in a statement.
“This plan will help us build on our successes, address challenges, and create a roadmap for a strong and dynamic DC — and we want residents to be involved in the process,” she added.
The D.C. Office of Planning identified several factors it wanted to work on for the proposal, including future growth, racial equity, the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate resilience, and regional alignment.
“The Comp Plan is a long-term vision and roadmap for the District’s future. The Comp Plan guides city decisions on where we locate housing and jobs and where and how we invest in transportation, utilities, parks, and other public resources,” the agency’s outlook document said.
“This is a once-in-a generation opportunity to collectively imagine a future that reflects our values. With a strong economy and increasing population, a new kind of Comp Plan is needed to make sure that our city grows equitably, with vibrant and resilient neighborhoods,” the document continued.
One of the items immediately identified as a priority was new land use policies, which they hope will work to “make every neighborhood opportunity-rich.”
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The D.C. Office of Planning would prepare the plan, with input from residents, and ready it for the mayor to send to the D.C. Council for approval by June 2027. The D.C. Council would then consider approving the plan between July 2027 and the end of that year, with the plan being enacted from 2028 through 2050.
While the proposal seeks to chart D.C. forward for the coming decades, the local government is predicting a $1 billion shortfall in the next four years as the federal workforce is reduced.