D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said while her city may be experiencing challenging times, she’s bullish on its future.
Bowser kicked off the District’s work on D.C. 2050, the comprehensive plan that is designed to shape growth and development for decades to come.
Speaking at the event at The Strand, part of a mixed-use development in Deanwood that repurposed the former Strand Theater, Anita Cozart, director of D.C.’s Office of Planning, told the crowd, “Today, D.C. is a city of over 702,000 people, and we are growing.”
By 2050, said Cozart, “We’re projected to add 145,000 new residents and 175,000 new jobs.”
Without mentioning the current wave of job-cutting by President Donald Trump’s administration at the federal level, Bowser told the crowd D.C. is living in unprecedented times.
“Notice I didn’t say we were talking about wringing our hands, or crying in our soup, although there’s going to be some of that too because a lot of people are really hurting,” she said.
Keeping an upbeat look ahead to 2050, Bowser said D.C. is experiencing rapid change from the federal government.
“But this is what I know, there are always opportunities,” she said, pointing to past economic downturns and the District’s ability to continue to attract new development and growth.
Bowser noted the current comprehensive plan was updated in 2006.
“Let me remind you of some of the bold pronouncements that were made back in 2006 … keep in mind, people thought Mayor Williams was crazy at the time,” she said, referring to former Mayor Tony Williams. “He said he wanted to attract 100,000 new residents to Washington, D.C.”
At the time, Bowser said there were about 500,000 in the District, “now we’re 702,000 in the District.”
Bowser also mentioned that in 2006, the District was “near junk bond status,” and now, she said D.C. enjoys a AAA bond rating.
What’s next?
Among the next steps for D.C. 2050 is a series of meetings with opportunities for virtual and in-person feedback from residents. Those meetings are set for March 22 at the Martin Luther King Library in Northwest, March 25 at the Barry Farm Recreation Center in Southeast, and a virtual session March 27.
D.C. is providing a survey that includes questions on what people like most about the city and asks participants to select what topics they think are most important in shaping the plans for the future.
At the kickoff of D.C. 2050, participants were asked to take part in a short phone survey to identify their concerns. Among the top issues are access to housing, transportation, shopping at grocery and pharmacies, and access to libraries and recreation.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
