Dividing Washington into four quadrants centered on the U.S. Capitol was a sound and symbolically resonant concept in the 18th century. It lent clarity to a nascent capital and reflected a moment when geometry and governance were thought to align. But that framework as a contemporary tool for urban planning, particularly in Southwest, no longer reflects the city’s reality and risks wasting public funds.
Recent federal interest in the disposition of government buildings has cast a spotlight on Southwest, an area with a high concentration of federally occupied structures and, regrettably, an equally high concentration of architectural underachievement. More than a half dozen federal buildings here totaling over 6 million square feet have appeared on various disposition lists. In response, the D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser budgeted $1.5 million for the development of a Southwest master plan. Although the D.C. Council later cut this item from the budget, the Office of Planning continues to study…
