Redeveloping a vibrant riverfront in Washington, DC/ The Capitol Riverfront

Abstract

From the end of World War II until about a decade ago, the land along the northern bank of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC, which is today known as the Capitol Riverfront neighbourhood, has most of the time been the city’s industrial backyard, home to concrete plants, car repair shops, waste transfer stations as well as outdated public housing projects. Today, the benefits of considerable public investments and the foresight of a visionary mayor transformed the neighbourhood into a walkable urban neighbourhood and business centre, well on its way to its maturation as a vibrant riverfront destination in the nation’s capital. Possibly the largest riverfront redevelopment project in the USA, the Capitol Riverfront exemplifies what good public planning, strategic public investment and public/private partnerships can accomplish in an industrial neighbourhood which had been forgotten for over 60 years — all within five blocks of the US Capitol Building.