The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) commemorates its 100-year anniversary in 2024. This
milestone offers a unique opportunity to reflect on much more than the agency’s history — it offers an
opportunity to examine the evolution of planning in Washington, DC and the region, acknowledge inequities
created by past planning practices, and consider lessons learned to inform planning today and into the
future.
Highlights
NCPC Centennial Exhibit on Display at the Kennedy Center
Why was the Kennedy Center built where it was? The Centennial exhibit features a new panel that explores early site options and design ideas for the nation’s cultural center, as well as future possibilities for strengthening the center’s connections to the riverfront and adjoining neighborhoods.
The exhibit will be on display in the Kennedy Center Hall of Nations throughout October.
NCPC’s centennial offers a moment for celebration and reflection. We are
honored to carry on the legacy of planning for the nation’s capital.
Capital cities must respond to both the aspirational values of our
country, and the on-the-ground realities of meeting the needs of a
diverse, growing city and region where people live, work and play.
This centennial milestone offers a unique opportunity to reflect on much
more than the agency’s history — we will examine the evolution of
planning
in Washington, DC and the region, acknowledge inequities created by past
planning practices, and consider lessons learned to inform planning into
the
future.
Over the coming year, join us in a conversation about our agency’s work
and
the impact of planning on Washington, DC as it is experienced today.
NCPC Executive Director Marcel Acosta
Planning Washington: Capital and Community
Exploring the Legacy of Federal Planning in the Nation’s Capital
How has our past shaped the nation’s capital we see today? On June 6,
NCPC launched its exhibit, Planning Washington: Capital and
Community, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in
Washington, DC.
Check out the probing panel conversation on the
agency’s role in shaping Washington, featuring Uwe Brandes, Georgetown
University; Don Edwards, Justice and Sustainability Associates; and Zach
Schrag, George Mason University.
White House Congratulates NCPC on 100th Anniversary
President Biden wrote a letter recognizing NCPC’s Centennial and
congratulating the agency for demonstrating the best in public service.
His letter notes, “I hope you feel great pride in the role the NCPC has played in
preserving the legacy of Washington, D.C., while promoting a positive
vision for its future.”