| Agency Name: | National Capital Planning Commission |
| Formed: | 1924 |
| Jurisdiction: | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters: | 401 9th Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, D.C. |
| Employees: | 35 |
| Chief1 Name: | Teri Hawks Goodmann |
| Chief1 Position: | Chair |
| Chief2 Name: | Elizabeth Hewlett |
| Chief2 Position: | Vice-Chair |
| Chief3 Name: | Marcel C. Acosta |
| Chief3 Position: | Executive Director |
| Website: | www.ncpc.gov |
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is a U.S. government executive branch agency that provides planning guidance for Washington, D.C., and the surrounding National Capital Region. Through its planning policies and review of development proposals, the Commission seeks to protect and enhance the resources of the U.S. national capital.[1]
The 12-member commission includes three presidential appointees, of which one must be from Virginia and one from Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., the chair of the Council of the District of Columbia, two mayoral appointees, and the chair of the House and Senate committees with review authority over the District. Other commission members include the heads of the three major land holding agencies, which are the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior, and the General Services Administration.[2] The Commission is supported by a professional staff of planners, architects, urban designers, historic preservation officers, among others.
Congress established the "National Capital Park Commission" in 1924 to acquire parkland for the capital in order to preserve forests and natural scenery in and about Washington to prevent pollution of Rock Creek and the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, and to provide for the comprehensive development of the nation's park system. Two years later, Congress renamed the agency the "National Capital Park and Planning Commission" and gave it the additional responsibility of comprehensive planning for the Washington region. Among its early members was Clarence C. Zantzinger, a Philadelphia architect.[3]
The 1952 National Capital Planning Act gave the commission its current name and the responsibility for preservation of important natural and historic sites in the area.[4]
The Home Rule Act of 1973 gave some of the Commission's local planning authority to the District of Columbia government. The Commission remains the planning authority for federally-owned land and buildings in the region. In addition, NCPC plays an advisory role to the District in certain land use decisions.[4]
NCPC operates under many laws and authorities that guide the agency's work. These include the National Capital Planning Act, Height of Buildings Act of 1910, Commemorative Works Act, District of Columbia Zoning Act, Foreign Missions Act, International Centers Act, NEPA, Home Rule Act, and the Capper-Crampton Act.[4] NCPC principal responsibilities include:[5]
NCPC often works in partnership with other federal and District agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, District Office of Planning, and District Department of Transportation.
As part of its long-range planning responsibilities, NCPC produced a visionary blueprint for the nation's capital. The 1997 plan Extending the Legacy: Planning America's Capital for the 21st century redefines Washington's monumental core and encourages the location of new museums, memorials, and federal office buildings in all quadrants of the city.[11]
The Memorials and Museums Master Plan advances the vision for Washington's monumental core expressed in NCPC's Extending the Legacy. It identifies 100 potential sites for future museums and memorials and provides general guidelines, siting criteria, and implementation strategies.[12]
The Monumental Core Framework Plan: Connecting New Destinations with the National Mall received unanimous approval from the Commission during its April 2009 meeting. The plan, a joint product of NCPC and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, aims to create vibrant and accessible destinations in the federal precincts surrounding the National Mall. It plans to reclaim Washington's waterfront, especially the Anacostia waterfront.[8]
CapitalSpace is the first comprehensive planning analysis of Washington's parks and open space in almost 40 years. The 2009 plan is a joint initiative of NCPC, the National Park Service and the District of Columbia. The six "big ideas" of the CapitalSpace plan includes linking Fort Circle Parks, improving playfields, enhancing center city parks, improving public schoolyards, enhancing natural areas and transforming small parks.[13]
The 2013 SW Ecodistrict Plan is a long range, comprehensive approach to transform a 110-acre, predominantly federal precinct into a well-connected, sustainable, mixed-use neighborhood, workplace, and cultural destination that links the National Mall and the Southwest Waterfront.[14]
The Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative is a multi-agency effort led by NCPC, the General Services Administration, the National Park Service, and the District of Columbia Government focused on concepts to redevelop the Avenue between the White House and U.S. Capitol into an inclusive place for people to gather, celebrate, and reconnect.[15]
Beyond Granite, funded by a major grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2021, is a two-year collaborative effort between NCPC, the Trust for the National Mall, and the National Park Service. It will result in 8-10 different temporary commemorative works to help increase diversity and representation and expand who gets to tell their stories in the nation's capital.[16]
NCPC was a founding member of Capitals Alliance, an international forum of planners and designers in capital cities around the world.[17]
NCPC hosts international delegations of planners, academia, and visitors to discuss the agency's work.
Commission meetings are open to the public. In addition, the public may comment on NCPC plans and activities.