Seine on the Anacostia: Design Studio this Saturday

Image from Arkitera.

From the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America:

* Fact: DC’s worst urban, social and political problem is the disconnect between the center city and Anacostia

* Fact: The Seine is 500 feet wide; the Anacostia River 1000.

* Fact: Paris has a bridge across the Seine every ¼ mile; Washington has one about every mile along the Anacostia.

* Fact: most if not all the bridges in Paris are easily crossed by foot; it is virtually impossible for a pedestrian to cross the Anacostia.

* Fact: SW and SE DC have freeways that literally cut the city up so that between the SW Freeway and the 295 is a mile swath much of which is no-man’s land.

Talk about dividing a community.

The MA-ICA&CA Urban Design Studio - BUILD DC - OPEN STUDIO is examining an urban plan that stitches together this virtual tear in the urban and community fabric of Washington DC. This can be done in a way that does not require displacement of citizens, can be funded from the project itself, and opens up center-city resources that can breathe new urban and economic life into the District in a manner and on a scale hitherto unimaginable.

This is part of our 100-year vision.

We have met twice on this project and are developing a plan in the MA-ICA&CA Urban Design Studio, meeting every other Saturday through September. Our work will be presented at the Traditional Building Conference in October. Join us in this exciting adventure and lend a hand to a portion of the Second MacMillan Plan.

RSVP to BUILDDC@ma-ica.org as spaces around the table are limited.

When: Saturday 9/9/06, 12:00-6:00
Where: Franck Lohsen McCrery, Architects, Inc., 1715 N Street, NW, DC 20036
Phone: 202.223.9449

Growth East of the Anacostia. The District is asking Metro to consider moving its headquarters to empty land at the Anacostia Metro station, which would open the present Metro site for private development and would push development east of the Anacostia River. A number of projects are already underway in the area. MAP BY LARIS KARKLIS - THE WASHINGTON POST

Index Keywords: Anacostia; urban-design-placemaking