(Washington, DC) – Mayor Vincent C. Gray and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that the District of Columbia is one of five capital cities being provided with technical assistance to further green design and development in the city. The expert assistance provided through EPA will help to create design strategies for the Anacostia Metro Station in Southeast DC, making this area safer, more environmentally friendly and better for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles alike.
This assistance is being provided to the District courtesy of EPA’s Greening America’s Capitals program, which helps cities create vibrant neighborhoods through sustainable designs developed by experts from the private sector. The Greening America’s Capitals Program will also support projects in Montgomery, Ala.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Jackson, Miss.; and Lincoln, Neb.
”I am excited that the District has been selected for this partnership opportunity with EPA,” said Mayor Gray. “The Greening America’s Capitals program will provide us with critical innovative thinking and tools to leverage this transportation hub into a safer and more sustainable asset for the Anacostia community.”
The District’s project is expected to begin this fall and culminate in a three-day design charrette with the community in early 2012. The study will include examining intersections around the Metro station. Public feedback from the successful Ward 8 Community Summit held by Mayor Gray on July 9th will be considered as part of the redesign. The project will also develop design options for the surrounding streets and open spaces to improve the pedestrian environment and connections to nearby homes stores, and the upcoming redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus.
The project will be a joint collaboration between the DC Office of Planning (OP), the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), and the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). EPA will organize teams of regional urban designers, planners and landscape architects to provide customized technical assistance. This assistance will leverage these projects to help create models for how other cities can design growth and development in environmentally and economically sustainable ways.
Greening America’s Capitals is a project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities between EPA, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the US Department of Transportation (DOT). This interagency collaboration coordinates federal investments in infrastructure, facilities and services to get better results for communities and use taxpayer money more efficiently. The partnership is helping communities across the country to create more housing choices, make transportation more efficient and reliable, reinforce existing investments and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses. HUD and DOT were involved in the review and selection process and will provide technical expertise on each project.
For more information: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greencapitals.htm