National Capital Planning Commission

OCTOBER 2002

The National Capital

Urban Design and Security Plan
The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan is the result of close collaboration

among the federal and District of Columbia governments, the professional planning and design

community, security agencies, and civic, business, and community groups. The Interagency

Security Task Force invited key public and private stakeholders to participate as members of

its Core Advisory Group. During early development of the Plan, National Capital Planning

Commission staff presented its security design work to dozens of audiences in Washington and

around the country. The Plan was released in draft for public comment in July 2002. The

Commission received dozens of responses from groups and individuals and carefully considered those comments in the preparation of this final Plan.

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan is available from the National Capital

Planning Commission offices and is online at www.ncpc.gov.

The National Capital Planning Commission is the federal government’s planning agency in

the District of Columbia and surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. The Commission

provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings in the region. It also reviews

the design of federal construction projects, oversees long-range planning for future development, and monitors capital investment by federal agencies.

National Capital Planning Commission

401 9th Street, NW

North Lobby, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20576

Telephone | 202 482-7200

FAX | 202 482-7272

Web Site | www.ncpc.gov
ii

Great cities like great nations must continuously reinvent themselves to keep pace

with a changing world. The Nation's Capital today is challenged to find acceptable ways

to protect itself from new and unprecedented international threats. We are in uncharted

waters, seeking innovative technology and design solutions to safeguard our citizens,

national buildings, monuments, and civic spaces. But our security must not be gained at

the expense of the very values and qualities that we seek to protect-accessibility, openness,

and civic beauty. The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan balances

legitimate security needs with the preservation of Washington's historic urban design and

character and its big-city vitality.

The Plan, which was prepared by the Commission's Interagency Security Task Force,

reflects extraordinary collaboration among public agencies, the private sector, the

professional design community, and citizens from many walks of life. After years of

piecemeal and disjointed efforts, key stakeholders have finally come together to address

security design issues in the Nation's Capital.

Task Force Chairman Richard Friedman deserves special recognition for his efforts on

behalf of the Plan. It was his passionate commitment to restore dignity to Washington's

streets that launched the effort in March 2001, and his vision that has since sustained it.

We are indeed indebted to Mr. Friedman and to all of the Interagency Security Task Force

participants who helped find a way to secure our city streets while protecting the civic

ideals and public spaces we most treasure.

MESSAGE FROM JOHN V. COGBILL, III

Chairman, National Capital Planning Commission
iii

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan

addresses the alarming proliferation during the last decade

of unsightly and makeshift security barriers that are

negatively impacting the historic beauty of Washington,

D.C. The Plan reflects our strong conviction that we can

have both good urban design and good security; that as we

invest to make our streets and public spaces safer, we can

also make them more beautiful. Our goal has been to

seamlessly integrate building perimeter security into

consistent, coherent, and welcoming streetscapes that are

truly worthy of the Nation's Capital. If we are to be a free

and open society, then our public realm must express those

values and at the same time offer the protections mandated

by today's security concerns.

A wide range of diverse interest groups worked diligently

and cooperatively in reaching consensus on these complex

and varied problems that have been neglected for too long. 

The Interagency Security Task Force prepared this Plan in

cooperation with federal agencies, the District of Columbia

government, security experts, the professional planning and

design community, the Architect of the Capitol, and the

public. We had the benefit of the private sector's best

landscape architects and urban design experts, and the help

of many truly dedicated professionals. I am particularly

appreciative of the efforts and cooperation of the U.S.

Secret Service, which contributed greatly to the

development of this Plan, and I look forward to continued

coordination with all contributors on the further design and

implementation of security improvements.

While this Plan was prepared to address the needs of

federal facilities, specifically those in the Nation's Capital,

its principles and concepts can easily be applied to other

public and private lands throughout the nation. 

The benefits from this Plan outweigh the costs. Significant

funds are already being spent to create the present

intolerable environment, and the costs will be much higher if

instead of planning for the future, we continue to sit by and

watch as jersey barriers and concrete pots engulf our

capital city. Future generations will judge our stewardship

of this sacred ground. If we allow the deterioration of the

city's historic civic spaces we will have failed in our

obligation to the American people and to the visionary

leaders who came before us. Our success today will impact

many generations yet to come.

Our collective work has only just begun. Implementation of

the Plan will require the continuing support of the

President, Congress, local residents, and Americans across

the country. In the coming months my colleagues and I look

forward to working with all those who share our passion for

a city that is the pride of the nation and the capital of the

free world. With conviction, optimism, and imagination we

can find the design and funding solutions to reclaim our

Nation's Capital and to make our public streetscapes reflect

our national values.

MESSAGE FROM RICHARD L. FRIEDMAN

Chairman, Interagency Security Task Force
iv

MEMBERS OF THE INTERAGENCY SECURITY TASK FORCE

Richard L. Friedman, Task Force Chairman

Member, National Capital Planning Commission

John V. Cogbill, III

Chairman, National Capital Planning Commission

The Honorable Gale A. Norton

Secretary of the Interior

represented by John G. Parsons, Associate Regional Director, 

Lands, Resources, and Planning, National Park Service

The Honorable Stephen A. Perry

Administrator of General Services

represented by Michael S. McGill, Senior Project Manager, 

Public Buildings Service, National Capital Region, General Services

Administration 

The Honorable Anthony A. Williams

Mayor of the District of Columbia

represented by Ellen M. McCarthy, Deputy Director, 

D.C. Office of Planning 

The Honorable Linda W. Cropp

Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia

represented by Robert E. Miller, 

Legislative Counsel to the Chairman

John C. Warnecke, FAIA (Honorary Member for Pennsylvania Avenue at the

White House)

COMMISSION MEMBERS

John V. Cogbill, III, Chairman, Presidential Appointee

Richard L. Friedman, Presidential Appointee

Robert A. Gaines, Presidential Appointee

Arrington L. Dixon, Mayoral Appointee

Patricia Elwood, Mayoral Appointee

The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld

Secretary of Defense

The Honorable Gale A. Norton

Secretary of the Interior

The Honorable Stephen A. Perry

Administrator of General Services

The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman

Chairman, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs

The Honorable Dan Burton

Chairman, House Committee on Government Reform

The Honorable Anthony A. Williams

Mayor of the District of Columbia

The Honorable Linda W. Cropp

Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia

Executive Director

Patricia E. Gallagher, AICP

MEMBERS OF THE CORE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

represented by Don L. Klima, Director, Office of Planning and Review

and Martha Catlin, Program Analyst

Commission of Fine Arts

represented by Harry G. Robinson, Chair and Frederick J. Lindstrom,

Assistant Secretary 

District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Officer

represented by David Maloney, Acting Program Manager

District of Columbia Department of Transportation

represented by Ken Laden, Assistant Director of Transportation

Planning

National Park Service

represented by Sally Blumenthal, Deputy Associate Director, Regional

Lands, Resources, and Planning 

United States Secret Service

represented by Barbara Riggs, Thomas Dougherty, Robert Baer, and

Joseph DiPietro

CONSULTANTS

Wolff Clements and Associates, Ltd., Coordinating Landscape Architect

Chan Krieger and Associates, Coordinating Architect

Devrouax & Purnell, Consulting Architect

EDAW, Inc., Landscape Architect

Olin Partnership, Landscape Architect

Peter Walker & Partners, Landscape Architect

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Landscape Architect

Applied Research Associates, Security Consultant

Leonard Smith and Associates, Inc., Cost Estimator

Christopher Grubbs, Illustrator

Michael McCann, Illustrator
v

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

DESIGNING FOR SECURITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK AND STREETSCAPE DESIGN SOLUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

STREETSCAPE DESIGN SOLUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

SECURITY ZONES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

STREETSCAPE SECURITY ELEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

MOBILITY AND PARKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CONCEPT DESIGNS FOR CONTEXTUAL AREAS AND MONUMENTAL STREETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE (AT THE WHITE HOUSE). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE (WHITE HOUSE TO THE CAPITOL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

FEDERAL TRIANGLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CONSTITUTION AND INDEPENDENCE AVENUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

THE MALL (JEFFERSON AND MADISON DRIVES) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

WEST END . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

DOWNTOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

IMPLEMENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

PROJECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

PROJECT DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

APPROVAL AND PERMITTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION STRATEGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

CONTENTS
vi
1

Urban Design and Security Plan

Americans, and the world-at-large, have long admired

Washington, D.C. for the sweep and grace of its open public

spaces. Secure in the knowledge that the civic environment

of the Nation's Capital belongs to all citizens, Americans feel

entitled to move about their capital freely and to feel secure

in doing so. Such confidence is precious and particularly

worth sustaining in an era of heightened concerns about

safety and security.

Today, however, guard huts define the National Mall, rows of

concrete planters encircle our public buildings, and temporary

barriers block Pennsylvania Avenue. These and other

fortifications have become familiar features in the Washington

landscape in recent years, and since September 11, their

number has increased alarmingly. While erected in response to

security concerns, these fortifications communicate fear and

retrenchment and undermine the basic premises of an open

and democratic society. 

At present, security measures around federal facilities protect

the occupants inside the building, but frequently disrupt access

and movement for those on the surrounding streets and

sidewalks. In addition, the protective barriers and closed streets

that block potential evacuation routes and emergency access

present their own security risks. The commercial, cultural, and

social vitality that makes Washington one of the world's

greatest urban centers depends upon the openness and access

that have defined the city from its beginning.

The image and quality of life in the District has suffered in the

absence of a well-coordinated and unified approach to the

design of building perimeter security. Installation of repetitive

elements such as highway barriers or bollards along streets and

around monuments will continue to degrade the beauty and

openness of these spaces, and uncoordinated installation and

maintenance will be more expensive to the agencies and

ultimately to the public who pay for these projects. The Task

Force recognizes the need for coordination throughout the

federal government in identifying, designing, and implementing

security measures. 

On November 1, 2001, the National Capital Planning

Commission (the Commission) adopted a report of the

Interagency Security Task Force entitled Designing for Security in

the Nation's Capital. The report recommended specific urban

design strategies to improve mobility and aesthetic conditions

resulting from the installation of makeshift security measures

throughout the Nation's Capital.

With the assistance of nationally recognized urban designers,

landscape architects, and security experts, the Commission

has prepared a design framework and an implementation

strategy entitled, The National Capital Urban Design and Security

Plan (the Plan) for Washington's Monumental Core and the

Downtown.

The Plan focuses exclusively on perimeter building security

designed to protect employees, visitors, and federal functions

and property from threats generated by unauthorized vehicles

approaching or entering sensitive buildings. It does not address

other kinds of security measures, such as building hardening,

operational procedures, or surveillance.

The Plan recognizes that Americans today live with a

heightened awareness of how fragile public safety can be; how

confidence in the stability of the public environment can

suddenly be shaken as security is breached or threatened.

Citizens, therefore, demand increased protection for

themselves and for their most cherished or most vulnerable

institutions. Yet, the nation must not guard against terror at the

expense of a long-standing national ideal: the appreciation—

indeed, aspiration—for openness, accessibility, and comfort

within the public domain. 

The goal of the Plan is to restore the beauty and dignity of the

Nation’s Capital by integrating building perimeter security into

an attractive streetscape and by coordinating the design and

installation of streetscape projects.

Unsightly jersey barriers,

large concrete planters,

and guard huts that ring

our buildings and line our

streets mar the beauty of

the Nation's Capital.

INTRODUCTION
2

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan is

motivated by six goals:

n Providing an appropriate balance between the need to

accommodate perimeter security for sensitive buildings and

their occupants and the need to maintain the vitality of the

public realm. 

n Providing security in the context of streetscape enhancement

and public realm beautification, rather than as a separate or

redundant system of components whose only purpose is

security. 

n Expanding the palette of elements that can gracefully

provide perimeter security in a manner that does not clutter

the public realm, while avoiding the monotony of endless

lines of jersey barriers or bollards, which only evoke

defensiveness.

n Producing a coherent strategy for deploying specific families

of streetscape and security elements in which priority is

given to achieving aesthetic continuity along streets, rather

than solutions selected solely by the needs of a particular

building under the jurisdiction of one public agency.

n Providing perimeter security in a manner that does not

impede the City’s commerce and vitality, excessively restrict

or impede operational use of sidewalks or pedestrian and

vehicular mobility, nor impact the health of existing trees.

n Identifying an implementation strategy that can be efficiently

coordinated in the most cost effective manner. 

On Capitol Hill, the Architect of the Capitol has designed and is

in the process of implementing permanent security

improvements. The Architect and the Commission’s Task Force

plan to coordinate on the further design and implementation of

security improvements on the Hill and throughout the

Monumental Core.
The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan 

includes:

n A summary of building perimeter security considerations

that influence the streetscape designs proposed in the Plan.

n A variety of streetscape design concepts that incorporate

security components. These designs illustrate how an array

of landscape treatments and street furniture may be applied

within various contextual areas of the Plan and are not

intended as final design solutions.

n A proposal to initiate the Circulator transit system and to

undertake a set of traffic and parking studies to identify

impacts of increased security mitigation strategies, such as

developing centralized parking facilities to replace parking

spaces lost as a result of new security requirements. 

n An implementation strategy for design, construction,

funding, maintenance, and operations of security

installations. The implementation strategy will ensure 

that work is completed according to the design intent 

of the Plan and that improvements are maintained.

The Plan offers a framework that distinguishes the urban

design character of various areas within the Monumental Core

and identifies perimeter security design solutions most

appropriate to the character of each area. This comprehensive

approach will ensure that improvements along streets are

complementary and enhance the special character of each

precinct, while addressing the required security measures for

individual buildings. 

INTRODUCTION

3

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

WASHINGTON

MONUMENT

CONTEXTUAL AREAS, MONUMENTAL STREETS, AND MEMORIALS

Downtown

West End

Federal Triangle

The National Mall

SW Federal Center

Pennsylvania Ave in front of the White House

Pennsylvania Ave

Constitution Ave

Independence Ave

Maryland Ave

CONTEXTUAL AREAS

n Federal Triangle

n National Mall

n West End

n Southwest Federal Center

n Downtown

MONUMENTAL STREETS

n Pennsylvania Avenue in front of

the White House

n Pennsylvania Avenue 

between the White House

and the Capitol 

n Constitution Avenue

n Independence Avenue

n Maryland Avenue

MEMORIALS

n Washington Monument 

n Lincoln Memorial 

n Jefferson Memorial

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan covers the following contextual areas, 

monumental streets, and memorials: 
4

In recommending security design solutions, the Plan recognizes that one

size does not fit all. For example, the Federal Triangle is unified by the

classical architecture of its monumental buildings and the two

ceremonial streets that border it on each side (Pennsylvania and

Constitution Avenues). For this portion of Pennsylvania Avenue, the

Plan recommends replacing and hardening the street furniture to emulate

the existing streetscape components. A variety of fence and bollard

elements are proposed on the north-south streets that reflect the

materials and style of the classical buildings. On the other hand, the

Southwest Federal Center currently suffers from the absence of a

cohesive urban design character and street grid. The Plan proposes to

introduce a vocabulary of unifying planters, benches, and seat bollards to

help establish the character of this precinct, to improve its connections

to other precincts, and to enhance the pedestrian experience. 

The Plan recognizes that not all buildings on a block will need security,

yet it acknowledges the importance of a coherent streetscape. Therefore,

the Plan proposes custom-designed treatments for those portions of a

building or block where perimeter security is needed only at entries to

buildings, or where only a small portion of the street or block requires

increased security. In other instances, the Plan proposes consistent design

treatment for entire streets or blocks where additional security is

required. In such cases, the Plan acknowledges that some blocks, or

portions of blocks, will be hardened while others will not. 

The Plan also recognizes that a vibrant Downtown must provide space

for a variety of pedestrian experiences. Therefore, the Plan uses

streetscape manuals of the D.C. Department of Public Works and the

Downtown Business Improvement District as a framework for designing

streetscape elements that will seamlessly integrate security of federal

properties with existing and future development in the Downtown.

Additionally, there are a number of monumental and unique buildings in

Downtown which, because of their civic importance or special location,

warrant custom-designed solutions.

While the Plan focuses on security improvements for federal properties,

it can also be used to guide design solutions for private properties.
The Security Threat and Response

The Plan provides design solutions for building perimeter security

intended to protect against threats resulting from unauthorized

vehicles approaching or entering sensitive buildings. Included in this

category of threats are bomb-laden vehicles, which are considered to

be the easiest mode of attack and could cause extensive structural

damage, progressive collapse, and loss of life. This Plan does not

address bombs carried by pedestrians, air attack, or chemical and

biological weapon terrorism. 

To establish the appropriate security response or level of

intervention, individual agencies must conduct risk assessments to

determine the magnitude of the security threat and the level of

protection required for individual buildings. Not all buildings and

facilities require the same level of security. The Interagency Security

Committee, a group examining federal security responses, circulated

design criteria to federal agencies in May 2000. These criteria and

responses form the basis of the current federal policies and

guidelines for assessing security risks. Buildings are assigned a

"protection level" based on factors that include symbolic

importance, critical nature of operations, consequences of an attack,

and surrounding site conditions. This approach, used in conjunction

with a detailed risk assessment, identifies the appropriate level of

protective measures to be applied to any federal facility. Concerned

that agencies may have a natural tendency to elevate the required

level of protection and to over-design security, the National Capital

Planning Commission recommends that the federal government

develop a protocol similar to that used by the General Services

Administration for agencies under its jurisdiction. This process will

facilitate a consistent application of the Interagency Security

Committee Guidelines. 

In conjunction with determining the protection levels of each

building, the required strength of the perimeter barrier must also be

determined. Some barriers must be designed to stop heavy vehicles

at high rates of speed, while others may be designed to protect

against a lesser vehicle threat. Barriers of less structural capacity may

be used for protection at reduced cost when travel speed is restricted

due to the angle of approach to the building. A higher level of

protection will be required when an approach is unimpeded,

therefore allowing vehicles to approach at higher speeds. 

Perimeter security design must also consider the existing standoff

distance of the building from the street. The Interagency Security

Committee criteria recommends a minimum standoff distance of 20

feet, with a more desirable standoff distance of 50 feet. Many

buildings throughout Washington's Monumental Core have setbacks

in excess of 100 feet, while others have less than 20 feet. The force

of an explosion's impact on a structure decreases with the linear

distance from the blast. In simple terms, every foot counts. 

While outside the scope of this study, structural measures can also

be taken to enhance facility security and blast resistance. Each

building has its own unique engineering characteristics. Therefore,

effective standoff distances can vary.

The General Services Administration has developed specifications

for six security zones surrounding federal buildings for each of the

designated protection levels. These security zones correspond to

building and site relationships. Three of the zones make up the

perimeter security areas, which are the focus of this Plan. The Plan

focuses on solutions within the building yard or sidewalk. Only

where absolutely necessary does the Plan consider elimination of

curbside parking or restriction of access to streets adjacent to

buildings that require a high level of protection. In these instances,

parking and mobility studies should be conducted to identify impacts

and appropriate mitigation measures. Additional countermeasures

include hardening and/or modifying buildings and implementing

operational measures to control access to the building. 

Based on the preliminary analysis of some security consultants, it

appears that only a few buildings will require an extremely high

level of protection. While many facilities in the District of

Columbia are assigned a very high protection level, site conditions,

such as significant setbacks from streets or inability to approach

the building head-on at a high speed, may decrease the risk to a

given building.

5

DESIGNING FOR SECURITY

ZONE 3

Building Yard

ZONE 5

Curb Lane

ZONE 2

Building Perimeter

ZONE 4

Sidewalk

ZONE 6

Street

ZONE 1

Building Interior

Permanent security

at the Ellipse in

President’s Park

Jersey barriers on the

sidewalk and in the

closed parking lane

in the West End

Security Zones
Urban Design Framework

The Plan identifies a framework of precincts or contextual

areas, as well as streets and landscape features, that contribute

to the unique urban design character of the Monumental Core.

The Plan illustrates streetscape design solutions for the

following four street types, based on roadway widths, sidewalks,

and building setbacks.

MONUMENTAL AVENUES

Monumental avenues connect and define the most important

areas of the city. Pennsylvania, Constitution, Independence, and

Maryland Avenues are treated as significant, coherent spaces

within the public realm. The design of these avenues should

emphasize streetscapes as a whole, rather than the parts.

Attention should be given to axiality and formality.

DIAGONAL AVENUES

Diagonal avenues criss-cross the orthogonal grid of city streets.

These streets are typically wider than most city streets and have

significant landscaping. Avenues such as Vermont, Connecticut,

and New York should be treated in a manner that emphasizes their

landscape features. Significant tree cover and ground planting are

appropriate elements to characterize the design of these streets.

SPECIAL STREETS

Special streets are those that make important connections or

have been included in special planning areas. For example, the

10th Street L'Enfant promenade creates an axis between the

Smithsonian Castle and Banneker Overlook, while 4th and 7th

Streets, SW are significant connectors to the Mall and

waterfront. The streetscape designs of these streets should

derive from and further reinforce their unique conditions and

individual character.

GRID STREETS

Grid streets are the consistent and repeated city streets, running

at right angles to one another, north-south and east-west. The

design of these streets should be specific to each area. In the

Downtown, design should build upon existing streetscape

standards of the District to provide continuity with previous

design efforts and to minimize the contrast between security

and streetscape elements.

Streetscape Design Solutions

Design applications may differ from area to area, based on the

character of the contextual area or special street. 

Designs of these areas include an array of streetscape elements

that incorporate security components, such as walls and fences,

planters, bollards, and hardened street furniture ranging from

light posts to seating. The composition and arrangement of

these elements should respond to the various conditions and

street typologies within the contextual areas. The rhythm and

repetition should reflect the area's planning, urban design

character, and security requirements. Streetscapes should be

designed as an amenity to the public realm that will provide

necessary security and not unduly impede street life activities

and the normal movements of pedestrians and traffic. 

6

Entrance to Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue in the Federal Triangle

Southwest Federal Center

West End

The unique architecture and site conditions of the

contextual areas and special streets call for design

solutions that complement the distinctive character of

various precincts.

URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK AND STREETSCAPE DESIGN SOLUTIONS
STREET TYPOLOGIES

Street typologies have been identified that apply 

to all of the contextual areas and special streets.

Monumental Avenues

Diagonal Avenues

Special Streets

Grid Streets

Sample Application Areas

Lincoln Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

Washington Monument

LEGEND

Urban Design Framework

7

7

Contextual areas are best understood as

urban precincts with similar buildings,

blocks, and streets that follow

traditional boundaries. Monumental

streets are the great linear connectors

of the city and provide an important

symbolic and ceremonial function in the

Nation’s Capital.

For streets within each contextual area

and for monumental streets, conceptual

design solutions have been developed as

sample applications for each street

typology based on the distance between

building and street. 
Security Zones

The General Services Administration's Urban Design Guidelines for

Physical Perimeter Entrance Security: An Overlay to the Master Plan for the

Federal Triangle identifies several security zones located between the

building and the street. These are the building yard, the sidewalk,

and the curb or parking lane. All of the proposed perimeter

streetscape design solutions occur within one of these three

security zones.

Building Yard

The building yard is the exterior space between the building and

the sidewalk. It typically consists of a grassy area adjacent to the

building flush with the sidewalk or a planted bed raised above the

level of the sidewalk. Pedestrian entries and loading docks

typically occur within the building yard. Security components

located in this zone should complement the building architecture

and the landscaping of the yard. In cases where the building yard

provides an acceptable standoff distance from the building, the

GSA guidelines recommend that the security perimeter be located

near the outer edge of the yard. When the security barrier is

provided in this location, for example, through the use of a raised

plinth or wall, the sidewalk can remain free from all security

elements. Security appears as an extension of the building, visually

present yet seamlessly integrated.

Sidewalk

The sidewalk zone is located between the building yard and the

curb or parking lane. In this urban context, the sidewalk serves

as the common space for pedestrian interaction, movement, and

activity. It is therefore important to allow for and to promote

active public use of the sidewalk. 

To the greatest extent possible, sidewalks should be left open and

accessible to pedestrian movement. Generally, streetscape security

components should be excluded from this zone. Adjustment to 

the width of this zone may occur. Where widths are too great,

the building yard can be extended to make the sidewalk more

appropriately scaled for pedestrians.

Streetscape security components should be placed at least 18"

from the edge of the curb to allow for the opening of car doors

and pedestrian movements from car to sidewalk. This area is the

most common location for streetscape elements, and it typically

offers the most compatible location for the security barriers.

Curbside parking and traffic lanes do not need to be removed

when security requirements can be met at the curb. 

Parking meters, streetlights, benches, planters, and trash

receptacles are familiar elements found at or near the curb.

Streetscape designs incorporating hardened versions of these

elements should be designed to reinforce the pedestrian realm.

Curb Lane

The curb lane is the lane of the street closest to the sidewalk.

Curbside parking, passenger drop-off, loading, and service

vehicles most often use this lane. 

Curbside parking should be removed only in locations where the

need for additional standoff distance is absolutely required and

only for buildings with the highest security threat. With the

exception of the proposed removal of the curb or parking lanes

on 10th Street, NW, adjacent to the Department of Justice, and in

the West End around the Department of State, the majority of

solutions that propose removing the curb lane are in the

Southwest Federal Center area. In very limited circumstances

when curb lane restrictions are contemplated, consideration

should be given to using this portion of the roadway as a secure

dedicated transit way to accommodate the Circulator. The

parking needs of adjacent owners and of the entire area should

be assessed and parking replaced prior to the removal of any

existing curbside lanes.

8

Sidewalk Curb Lane

Trees, planters, and other streetscape elements

are incorporated into sidewalks. There are

limited situations where parking may be

removed to widen the sidewalk and increase

setback from the street.

Raised planter or plinth wall

provides security barrier in the

building yard.

ZONE 3

Building Yard

ZONES 4 AND 5
Streetscape Security Elements

The Monumental Core of Washington, D.C. is composed of

distinct areas that have distinguishable boundaries and unique

characteristics. Streetscape design is intended to reinforce or

establish (in the case of areas with less recognizable features)

urban design and architectural character. 

The goal of The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan is to

seamlessly incorporate building perimeter security into a

beautifully designed streetscape. The Plan broadens the palette of

perimeter security elements into an attractive streetscape, including

a range of street furnishings and elements, such as streetlights,

walls, planters, fences, and seats. These elements have been

studied to determine the feasibility of "hardening" them so that

they function as both amenities and as components of physical

building perimeter security. The structural design, spacing, shape,

and detailing of the perimeter security components must be

designed to address the required level of protection for a

particular building. 

While some elements may apply universally, others must respond

to contextual areas, reflecting the unique character through use of

appropriate materials, scale, and design detail. Though a family of

streetscape elements has been designed for each contextual area or

street, there are seven basic security design concepts. These

include hardened street furniture, fences or fence walls, plinth

walls, hedges and bollards, planters, bollards, and custom-designed

solutions. While one or more of these concepts are used in

multiple areas, the style of the elements will vary based on the

character of a particular area.

The Plan’s Streetscape Element Catalogue includes an array of

streetscape components and landscape solutions developed

for each Contextual Area and Monumental Street. The

application of these elements is illustrated in the Area

Concept Plans as they apply to various conditions found

throughout the Monumental Core.

Tested and installed streetscape components have served as

the basis for the security design concepts proposed in the

Plan. In general, proposed solutions use materials and

capabilities as those applied in proven elements such as the

Presidential Bollard. This bollard has been integrated with

new streetscape and security designs for light poles,

newspaper racks, and benches. 

Many of these new designs will need to be engineered and

crash tested to verify that they are effective. The feasibility

and cost of implementing these solutions will be determined

as individual assessments are conducted and design of the

components are tested to prove their effectiveness in

defending against a variety of specified threats.

URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK AND STREETSCAPE DESIGN SOLUTIONS

9

Hardened Street Furniture Seat Bollard

Fence Wall Decorative Fence

Plinth Wall

Planters Seat Planter

STREETSCAPE SECURITY ELEMENTS

Bollards

Fence and Bollard

Hardened Light Fixtures
Mobility and Parking 

Security needs should be addressed by measures that have the

least adverse impact on parking, traffic, and pedestrian circulation.

Since providing for physical perimeter security may, on occasion,

compete with the space used to accommodate vital transportation

needs of the city, great care must be given to ensuring that neither

is diminished through this effort. In fact, improvements to traffic

flow also promote safety because they allow for faster emergency

response and evacuation times when necessary. Improved

circulation throughout the Monumental Core along more

attractive and more secure streets should be a beneficial product

of the Plan. The Plan should also advance the District's longrange goals of increasing the use of public transit and better

managing on- and off-street parking. 

At individual locations, where the need to improve building standoff zones requires impact to roadways, detailed traffic analyses

must be conducted to determine the associated impacts to traffic

movements and the parking supply. These studies will require

participation and approval by the District of Columbia

Department of Transportation and other affected agencies. In

most cases, such actions should be reversible so that if and when

restrictions are lifted, streets can easily be used again to improve

vehicular circulation. 

Where roadway impacts occur at multiple locations, the associated

effects on traffic and parking could be compounded. The

following actions will be necessary to mitigate these effects:

n Fund and implement the Downtown Circulator to supplement

the existing transit system, reduce Downtown traffic

congestion, increase mobility, and mitigate transportation

impacts caused by security improvements and street closures.

n Fund and conduct comprehensive traffic and parking studies

to address impacts of increased security at federal properties

within the Monumental Core.

n Identify and fund mitigation strategies to address any adverse

circulation impacts, adverse impacts to the roadway network,

or parking supply caused by security measures.

n Replace any substantial loss of on-street parking, including

structured or off-street parking. Initiate a study identifying

potential parking repositories in relationship to existing or

potential transit corridors.

n Fund and initiate a feasibility and impact study for

mitigating and enhancing transportation access along the

Pennsylvania Avenue/E Street corridor, including

developing secure tunnel options and

reopening E Street as soon as possible.

10

A future transit Circulator could be

accommodated without taking away

from the generally pedestrian

character of the Avenue.

One of the Circulator routes should

provide service along Pennsylvania

Avenue in front of the White House.

The White House

U.S. Capitol

The Mall

Union Station

New Convention Center

Illustration: Wolff Clements and Associates
Historic Character

Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House is one of the most

historic and symbolically sensitive places in the nation. The White

House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue lies within President's Park, a

special precinct of the Nation's Capital. Generous public spaces

and views, historic buildings and landscapes, and associations to

historical events and people characterize this precinct and tell its

history. These settings, buildings, and associations have great

significance for the American people.

Pennsylvania Avenue is an important element in the White House

setting. It traverses the L'Enfant reservation between the White

House and Lafayette Park and provides a world-renowned

address, public access, open views, and orientation for the White

House and other buildings situated on and near it. The route of

Pennsylvania Avenue through the reservation was not part of

L'Enfant's 1791 Plan. It developed as the White House was built,

and continued as an informal path in subsequent years.

Pennsylvania Avenue was formally made a public street in 1824,

the same year that General Lafayette visited Washington and

spoke to the public from the park now named in his honor. The

segment of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House has

been designated a contributing element of the historic street plan

of Washington, also known as the L'Enfant Plan.

The layout of Lafayette Park, designed by Andrew Jackson

Downing, the noted horticulturist and landscape designer, was

implemented in the mid-19th century. Most of the 19th-century

buildings along Madison and Jackson Places facing Lafayette Park

are now executive branch offices, although they were originally

private dwellings. Similarly, the buildings on the north side of

Pennsylvania Avenue, such as the Smithsonian Institution's

Renwick Gallery, Blair House, and Riggs Bank, reflect earlier

private development near the White House. Lafayette Park is the

centerpiece of the Lafayette Square Historic District, designated a

National Historic Landmark in 1970. It contains approximately 30

buildings, including the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and

the Treasury Building flanking the White House. The 15th Street

Financial Historic District and the Pennsylvania Avenue National

Historic Site are other designations that document the area's

significance. 

As in other parts of Washington, and particularly in this area,

open space—including the street rights-of-way and parkland—is

as significant to the historic setting and as worthy of protection as

the buildings. The views and vistas along Pennsylvania Avenue

and in all directions to and from the avenue are significant, since

they comprise an important aspect of the setting of the White

House. Views to and from the radiating avenues were planned by

L'Enfant in his design of the White House and they have been

reinforced by subsequent architects and designers. 

Existing Context

The Secretary of the Treasury ordered the closure of

Pennsylvania Avenue on May 19, 1995, following the

recommendation of a Blue Ribbon Panel charged with reviewing

security at the White House to prevent catastrophic damage of

the mansion by a vehicle bomb. The security booths and vehicle

barriers installed on the avenue and surrounding streets, which

were never intended to be a permanent solution, detract from

this powerful, historic, and symbolic place. In preparing the

recommendations contained in its report, Designing for Security in

the Nation's Capital, the Interagency Security Task Force analyzed

the current and future security needs of the area, past proposals

for either reopening or permanently closing the street, and traffic

alternatives to the continued closure of the street to normal

vehicular traffic. 

While pursuing every possible solution that would permit

reopening the street, the Task Force, responding to

overwhelming and legitimate security concerns, ultimately

concluded that the street must remain closed to normal city

traffic at this time. However, the Commission and the Task Force

have emphasized that any design for this section of Pennsylvania

Avenue must be reversible, and that changes in the security threat

or improvements to security technology could result in its future

reopening. They further recommended the design and

construction of a landscaped civic space that respects and

enhances the historic setting and views of the White House. 

11

Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House

CONCEPT DESIGNS FOR CONTEXTUAL AREAS AND SPECIAL STREETS

Pennsylvania Avenue in

front of the White House

c. 1791
Given its great symbolic importance, the security needs of this

portion of the avenue, and its current unacceptable appearance,

the Task Force invited four of the country's top landscape

architecture firms to submit proposals to create a pedestrianoriented public space and to accommodate a Circulator vehicle in

front of the White House.

The four firms were Balmori Associates and Michael Van

Valkenburgh Associates of New York City; EDAW Inc. of

Alexandria, Virginia; and Peter Walker and Partners of

Berkeley, California. 

The Task Force provided the designers with the objectives

outlined in its November 2001 report, and with the design

guidelines contained in the Comprehensive Design Plan for the

White House and President's Park, which were prepared with

extensive public consultation by the National Park Service in

1999. In addition to respecting the historic setting of the White

House and reflecting the memory of the street's historic use,

the Task Force's design criteria required that the proposals:

n Accommodate the staging of inaugural parades.

n Accommodate the Circulator, a new transit system planned

for Downtown Washington.

n Permit the possible future reopening of Pennsylvania Avenue.

n Permit the possible future construction of a tunnel. 

In assessing the submissions, the Task Force examined how well

each responded to several urban design objectives including

security, circulation, pedestrian environment, visual quality, and

historic character.

Based on the recommendation of the Task Force, the

Commission selected Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates to

proceed with the conceptual design for Pennsylvania Avenue at

the White House. The Commission noted that it was selecting a

designer and a design approach and that the design concept may

be modified and refined as the actual design process goes forward. 

12

Bollard line at security perimeter Vehicular corridor for the proposed Circulator

Entry

Plaza

Crushed granite paving reinforces pedestrian use of this central precinct

Entry

Plaza

Guardhouse in

bosques of trees

CONCEPT DESIGN FOR PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
Design Framework

The Van Valkenburgh design scheme creates a precinct in front

of the White House that uses familiar materials and mediates

between the European formality of the L'Enfant Plan, the

naturalism of Downing's Lafayette Park, and the open setting

of the grounds of the White House. 

The scheme creates a pedestrian precinct and environment that

is welcoming and dignified, and that is able to accommodate

multiple uses, including the inaugural parade. It incorporates a

simple array of historic Washington light fixtures, stone

benches, and other traditional streetscape elements. It preserves

the historic axis and existing street pattern and ensures views of

the White House. 

The concept consists of four primary components:

n Entry plazas at 15th and 17th Streets are formed by the

addition of bosques of trees in front of the Treasury Building

at the 15th Street entrance and the Eisenhower Executive

Office Building at the 17th Street entrance. These plazas

provide locations for the required security checkpoints and,

together, they frame the area of the avenue in front of the

White House.

n Crushed granite granular paving is proposed for the area of

Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House between

Madison and Jackson Places. This pavement is similar to that

used on the Mall walkways and in other renowned civic

landscapes around the world. This material encourages

pedestrian use of the space and acts as a joining element

between Lafayette Park and the White House grounds,

reinforcing the relationship of the White House within

President's Park. The timelessness of the granular paving also

references the historic origins of the avenue. The design

maintains this central area as an open space, preserving views

of the White House and the axial view corridor of the avenue. 

n A corridor lined with large trees is proposed on the north side

of Pennsylvania Avenue adjacent to Lafayette Park. This

corridor serves as a roadway for presidential and visiting

dignitaries, motorcades, security and emergency vehicles, and

for the proposed Circulator vehicle.

n The concept allows for secure public access to the White

House precinct and President's Park through the proposed

Circulator. A Circulator would permit a partial and limited use

of Pennsylvania Avenue to allow for controlled and secure

vehicular traffic in front of the White House. A Circulator

would also help mitigate the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue

by restoring a cross-town transportation link and, once more,

offer to both visitors and residents the experience of riding in

front of the White House. 

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE AT THE WHITE HOUSE

13

An allee of large trees delineates the route for

the Circulator and defines and humanizes the

space in front of the White House. The design includes a simple array of

historic Washington light fixtures, stone

benches, and discreet bollards.

Illustration: Michael McCann Illustration: Michael McCann
The design concept addresses the functional requirements of

security, circulation, the inaugural parade, and pedestrian

amenities in the following ways:

Security

The security perimeter is in the same location as the existing

temporary security barriers. Inside the perimeter no additional

vehicular security is required. Security elements consist of a row

of bollards located at each end of the avenue inside the 15th

and 17th Street intersections. Guard booths are proposed to be

located within the tree bosques. The ultimate design and

location of these security elements will change as required to

meet criteria established by the U.S. Secret Service and other

law enforcement agencies.

Circulation

The design accommodates the planned Circulator by including

a travel lane for controlled and secure vehicular traffic in front

of the White House. As proposed, vehicles entering the avenue

will either be turned away or cleared to proceed through the 

perimeter barrier at the entrance to the street on the north side

of Pennsylvania Avenue. This street is delineated by a shallow

curb and a second row of trees that parallel the existing street

trees on the south side of Lafayette Park. Whereas the

Circulator will remain on this street, Presidential motorcades,

VIP, law enforcement, and other authorized vehicles would

cross the central pedestrian area to enter the ceremonial drive

of the White House.

Inaugural Parade

A 60-foot-wide uninterrupted right-of-way is maintained

throughout the length of Pennsylvania Avenue between 15th

and 17th Streets, as required for the Inaugural Parade. The total

width of the central area in front of the White House is 90

feet, including the 15-foot sidewalk on the south, but excluding

the 24-foot vehicular street on the north. Temporary bleachers

that are able to seat approximately 21,000 spectators will line

both sides of this route. (Temporary bleachers for the 2001

Inaugural Parade accommodated 17,500 spectators.)

Site Amenities

As proposed, the entry plazas facing the Eisenhower

Executive Office Building and the Treasury Building will be

constructed with monolithic 10- by 15-foot slabs of granite.

The central area in front of the White House will be

constructed of crushed granite. Bench seating will be located

in shaded areas under the trees. A simple order of historic

Washington light fixtures, stone benches, and bollards chosen

for their timeless appearance, will reinforce the existing overall

sense of the avenue.

ADDITIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

n The design concept offers a conceptual starting point for 

the permanent design of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of

the White House. The extraordinary historic, symbolic, 

and security concerns of this area will require modification

and refinement as the design proceeds. 

n The design and location of security elements will be

modified, as necessary, to meet the criteria established by 

the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies.

n The design may require modification to meet the unique

requirements of the Inaugural Parade, including Presidential

viewing, media stands, and bleachers.

n The design must ensure that the avenue can be quickly 

and easily reopened to normal vehicular traffic.

n A contingency plan should be prepared to ensure that

construction does not impact the Inaugural Parade.

Ideally, construction should be completed in time 

for the 2005 parade.

n The design should not preclude the ability to incorporate 

a tunnel in the future if deemed necessary and appropriate 

at this location.

14

Proposed streetscape looking east on Pennsylvania Avenue

Illustration: Michael McCann
Historic Character

Pennsylvania Avenue, today the most symbolic thoroughfare in

the city, was also the most significant in L'Enfant's plan for

Washington. The Pennsylvania Avenue right-of-way is a

contributing element of the historic L'Enfant Plan designation,

and the buildings along this right-of-way comprise part of the

Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. The U.S. Capitol and

the Treasury Building near the White House grounds flank the

segment from 3rd to 15th Streets, NW, creating some of the most

recognized vistas in the Nation's Capital and the world. Parks,

water features, statues, and memorials further enhance the avenue.

The U.S. Navy Memorial and the National Archives mark the 8th

Street cross-axis. The non-orthogonal intersections with Indiana

and Constitution Avenues have inspired distinctive building

footprints and open spaces. 

Conceived by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation

(PADC), the 1974 Pennsylvania Avenue Development Plan guided

the design and implementation of the current streetscape design.

The features include uniform brown square pavers, rows of

willow oaks, and a family of street furniture, all reflecting the era

in which they were designed. 

The architecture on the south side of the avenue is more uniform

and monumental in character, reflecting the federal government's

planning and architectural design throughout the 20th century. 

The north or commercial side of the avenue denotes the southern

edge of the city's commercial Downtown. The Canadian embassy

and the Market Square buildings are notable recent additions, and

the Willard Hotel, the Evening Star Building, and the Apex

Building are rehabilitations of significant landmarks. 

Existing Context

The existing streetscape design incorporates a pedestrian

walkway approximately 12 to 15 feet wide with a row of

street trees on either side. This walkway is set back 8 to 10

feet from the curb and is typically 40 to 45 feet from the face

of the buildings. A line of streetscape elements is located

within each row of trees, mostly in the line closest to the

street. The streetscape elements are designed to sit above the

ground, as separate distinct objects animating this spatial

environment. These objects are arranged in a repetitive

pattern establishing a rhythm that respects block-to-block

relationships and idiosyncrasies.

Security needs and pedestrian conditions vary greatly along the

length of Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White

House. Some buildings are set far back from the street on wide

sidewalks, while others are not; some buildings require

maximum security, while others do not. 

15

“America’s Main

Street”– Pennsylvania

Avenue from the White

House to the Capitol

Pennsylvania Avenue–White House to the Capitol
Design Framework

The proposed streetscape design for Pennsylvania Avenue

reinforces the existing streetscape of the avenue by the

incorporation of new, custom-designed, hardened street furniture.

The proposed security perimeter reinforces the existing line of

streetscape elements that are located at the row of trees closest

to the street (8 to 10 feet from the curb). This results in most

of the buildings along the avenue having a standoff distance of

approximately 40 feet. The proposed security barrier consists of

custom-designed, hardened street furniture. The palette is

expanded to include the additional components of bollards,

planters, and custom-designed bus shelters. 

Ultimately, final design direction for the avenue between 

3rd and 15th Streets will be determined based on the design

of new, hardenend street furniture and the updated national

historic register nomination currently being conducted by 

the National Park Service.

16

Typical Streetscape Design

Custom-Designed Area

Custom-Designed Elements

Sample Application Area

1 0T H STREET

11T H STREET

1 2T H STREET

1 3T H STREET

CONSTITUTION AVENUE

14 T H STREET9T H STREET7 T H STREET

FBI

NAVY

MEMORIAL

NATIONAL

ARCHIVES

DEPARTMENT

OF JUSTICE

RONALD REAGAN

BUILDING AND

INTERNATIONAL

TRADE CENTER

MELLON

FOUNTAIN

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE – WHITE HOUSE TO THE CAPITOL KEY PLAN
Sample Applications

The block between 9th and 10th Streets, NW is used to illustrate

the proposed typical streetscape design solution for Pennsylvania

Avenue. This block of the avenue contains the headquarters of

the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the south and the J. Edgar

Hoover Building of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on

the north. The existing condition in front of the DOJ is typical of

most of the avenue while conditions in front of the FBI Building,

with an additional 30 feet of sidewalk width and an additional

row of street trees, are atypical.

The proposed streetscape design and security barrier, where

required, should be identical on both sides of the avenue. For

buildings that must be secured, hardened street furniture will be

necessary; for buildings that do not require security, similar but

unhardened versions of the same furniture will be installed at

greater spaced intervals. 

The proposed security elements consist of hardened designs of

new street furniture, including: benches, drinking fountains, trash

containers, and pedestrian light fixtures. Other elements include

bollards, planters, and a new design for the bus shelters. All of

these new components are custom-designed both to

accommodate the required hardening and to respect the design 

of the existing furniture. The illustrated solution applies these

components to create a rhythm and, at major building entrances,

to reflect the significance of the space and the architecture of 

the building.

The additional setback of the FBI Building offers the opportunity

to custom design this section of the avenue to add either a unique

feature or simply provide additional green space. Although shown

as a raised landscaped planting bed that offers further protection

as a secondary vehicle barrier, the appropriate design of this area

is yet to be determined.

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE – WHITE HOUSE TO THE CAPITOL 

17

10th Street9th Street

Pennsylvania Avenue

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Line of Hardened Streetscape Elements

Line of hardened streetscape

furniture on the centerline of

the first row of trees

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SAMPLE APPLICATION
Special Projects

Over the length of any street, some variety is apparent. On

Pennsylvania Avenue, this variety includes design challenges to

which the typical design concept will need to adapt and where

more site-specific design is appropriate. Locations that call for

site-specific design include:

n Fountain at the eastern end of the Federal Triangle on 

4th Street.

n Navy Memorial and Archives, between 7th and 9th Streets,

both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.

n In front of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building.

n Terminus of 13th Street at the Ronald Reagan Building 

and International Trade Center.

ADDITIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

n The design of hardened street furniture components must 

be appropriate to the 1974 PADC design concepts for 

the avenue. 

n Hardened street furniture must be tested to ensure that it

satisfies security requirements.

n Underground utility locations are yet to be determined.

18

Trash Receptacle Bus Shelter Pedestrian Lighting Planter Bench Tree Pit Curb and Posts

Proposed line of hardened street furniture

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE HARDENED STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS

STREETSCAPE ELEVATION
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE – WHITE HOUSE TO THE CAPITOL

19

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SAMPLE APPLICATION – PLAN DETAIL 1
20

Proposed streetscape design for

Pennsylvania Avenue looking west

from the Treasury Building

Existing conditions

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
Historic Character

The Federal Triangle, an enclave of federal office buildings

conceived in the McMillan Plan, is listed in the National

Register of Historic Places. Part of the Pennsylvania Avenue

National Historic Site, the area was designated for its

exceptional architectural and planning significance and for its

contribution to the image of the federal government in the

Nation's Capital. All of the buildings in the Federal Triangle

were designed and constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, with

the exception of the Old Post Office (a surviving 1890s

landmark), the Wilson Building (1908), and the Ronald

Reagan Building and International Trade Center (completed

in the 1990s).

The Federal Triangle complex represents a high standard of

coordinated federal planning and design in the Beaux Arts

style. Massive in size but classically proportioned and adroitly

scaled, the buildings dominate the south side of Pennsylvania

Avenue between the White House and the U.S. Capitol. These

buildings also line the north side of Constitution Avenue and

complement the scale of the museums across the avenue. John

Russell Pope's National Archives Building punctuates the 8th

Street cross-axis in both plan and elevation. Within and

between the buildings, graceful plazas, generous courtyards,

and carefully modulated facades showcase a sophisticated

architectural vocabulary.

Existing Context

Conceived as a unified precinct, the Federal Triangle originally

consisted of manicured lawns with minimal, entranced-focused

foundation plantings. The Triangle is articulated by a landscaped

building yard, typically with low moat walls at the building wall,

and wide sidewalks incorporating a generous tree-planting strip.

A hierarchy of vehicular and pedestrian movement exists within

the Federal Triangle. Although all of the north-south streets

extend through the Triangle, several terminate at their

intersection with Constitution Avenue and the Mall.

UNIQUE OR SPECIAL CONDITIONS INCLUDE:

n National Archives with its plinth walls and Beaux Arts

landscaping.

n Old Post Office building and its narrow sidewalk 

on 12th Street.

n Buildings around the hemicycle that are at the curb on 

both sides of 12th Street.

n Terminus of 13th Street at the Ronald Reagan Building.

n Ronald Reagan Building entrance plaza on 14th Street.

These special conditions represent opportunities for the custom

design of streetscape, landscape, and related urban design and

security solutions.

21

Plaza entrance to

Ronald Reagan Building

and International Trade

Center

View north on 14th Street

in front of the Department

of Commerce

Bus operations on 10th street

adjacent to the Department of

Justice and IRS

Federal Triangle
Design Framework

Streetscape designs for the Federal Triangle reflect the hierarchy

of Pennsylvania Avenue, Constitution Avenue, and the northsouth streets in this precinct. The designs distinguish the avenues

from the streets. Design concepts respond to the historic site and

architectural character while enhancing the pedestrian experience. 

The Federal Triangle design concept incorporates a uniform

streetscape design for the majority of the north-south streets.

Specific design solutions are applied to the special conditions

that exist on these streets, including: custom design of the

hemicycle on 12th Street, the terminus of 13th Street, and the

14th Street entry plaza of the Ronald Reagan Building and

International Trade Center.

Security components proposed for the Federal Triangle include

several bollard designs, a street fence design, and modifications

of existing plinth and retaining walls. The typical north-south

streetscape design incorporates a fence and bollard wall located

on the curbside of the existing tree planting beds (typically two

trees in length). Where breaks in this element exceed security

requirements, a bollard or other hardened streetscape

component is incorporated. While not proposed as a

component of this security barrier, hardening of the street light

poles is also an option. Bollards are used on corners and where

the sidewalk is too narrow to incorporate street trees and the

associated fence wall. 

22

13th Street

12th Street

10th Street

9th Street

11th Street

14th Street Sample Application Area

Pennsylvania Avenue

Constitution Avenue

Post and Bollard

Fence and Bollard

Plinth Wall

Special Bollard

Vehicle Entrance

Special Projects

Sample Application Area

The Plan endorses the 

General Services Administration’s

proposal for the design of a fountain

at the 13th Street terminus at

Pennsylvania Avenue.

FEDERAL TRIANGLE KEY PLAN

FEDERAL TRIANGLE KEY PLAN

E

LEGEND

14th Street
The proposed streetscape design framework on the north-south

streets of the Federal Triangle incorporates: 

n A fence and bollard wall on the curbside of the tree planting beds. 

n Bollards where sidewalk conditions are too narrow to employ the

fence wall, such as adjacent to the Wilson Building on 14th Street. 

n Custom-designed solutions for the 12th Street hemicycle and 

14th Street plaza in front of the Ronald Reagan Building. 

n The General Services Administration's proposal for the design of 

a fountain at the 13th Street terminus at Pennsylvania Avenue. 

n Redesign of the fountain in front of the National Archives on

Pennsylvania Avenue to accommodate security requirements. 

n Removal of the parking lanes on both sides of 10th Street. 

A study to develop modifications of 10th Street bus operations is

recommended to make the street more pedestrian friendly, as

appropriate to this street and its termination at the Constitution

Avenue entrance to the National Museum of Natural History.

n Guardhouses, as required at points of vehicular entry to parking

and service areas, to be located close to the buildings, and designed

to be compatible with the associated building architecture. 

Gate arms are acceptable in areas of high traffic volume. 

FEDERAL TRIANGLE

23

Plan Detail (next page) Post and Bollard

Post and Bollard

Washington Globe Light

Special

Bollard

Newspaper

Vending Trash

Receptacle Fence & Bollard Wall

Fence and Bollard

Guardhouse and retractable bollards

14TH STREET

Special button bollards

FEDERAL TRIANGLE – 14TH STREET SAMPLE APPLICATION AREA

FEDERAL TRIANGLE – HARDENED STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS
ADDITIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

n The proposed fence and bollard wall component requires

both engineering and testing to ensure that it satisfies

security requirements. 

n Removal of the parking lanes on 10th Street requires a

traffic study and parking analysis and confirmation by

DCDOT.

n Underground utility locations have yet to be determined.

24

Pennsylvania Avenue

Fence and Bollard 

Tree Pit Enclosure

Fence and Bollard Tree Pit Enclosure

Bollards at

Corners

TYPICAL PLAN DETAIL

SECTION

TYPICAL FENCE AND BOLLARD SECTION

TYPICAL NORTH-SOUTH STREET ELEVATION
FEDERAL TRIANGLE

25

Proposed and typical Federal

Triangle streetscape design looking

north on 14th Street in front of the

Department of Commerce

Existing conditions

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
Department of Justice

Within the Federal Triangle, the Department of Justice (DOJ)

has designed perimeter security for its headquarters building on

Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s recommended that the streetscape

designs for the surrounding streets of Pennsylvania Avenue on

the north, Constitution Avenue on the south, and the typical

streetscape design proposed for the north-south streets in the

Federal Triangle apply to the DOJ headquarters building.

(These proposed streetscape designs are described in the

respective sections for each of these avenues and the 

Federal Triangle.)

n The proposed Pennsylvania Avenue streetscape design

concept constitutes a new design for the 1974 Pennsylvania

Avenue Development Corporation plan for the avenue. The

design incorporates hardened components that are consistent

with the existing design of the avenue, e.g., benches, drinking

fountains, etc., and include the addition of bollards at the

corners and at major entrances to the buildings.

n The proposed Constitution Avenue streetscape incorporates a

plinth wall design that raises the existing coping stone on the

inside of the sidewalk. 

n The Federal Triangle north-south streetscape design

introduces a fence and bollard wall at the curbside of the tree

planting beds. Bollards are incorporated in the sidewalk

between this wall and at vehicular entrances where retractable

bollards and/or gate arms are employed. 

n Guardhouses are proposed to be custom-designed for

compatibility with the building architecture. 

n Given the high level of security applicable to the DOJ and

the special condition that exists on 10th Street between

Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, the Plan

recommends incorporating the existing curb/parking lanes on

both sides of this block in widened sidewalks, thereby

increasing the standoff distance. This widening of the

sidewalk incorporates the redesign of this predominately

pedestrian street in a manner appropriate to its limited traffic

use and termination at the Constitution Avenue entrance to

the National Museum of Natural History

26

Department of Justice Building as viewed from

Pennsylvania Avenue
Historic Character

CONSTITUTION AVENUE

L'Enfant's Constitution Avenue was originally a creek, and then

later channeled into a canal. It was a 90-foot-wide street by the

late 19th century and became the grand thoroughfare we know

today as a result of the standards established in the McMillan

Plan and implemented through the 20th century. Along its

entire length in the Northwest quadrant of the city,

Constitution Avenue affords views of the Capital's most

significant memorials and open space, national museums, and

prominent federal and institutional buildings, designed by the

leading architects and landscape architects of this era.

As monumental as these building are, they are also elements of

larger ensembles that complement the size and scale of the

avenue—the Mall museums, the Federal Triangle, and the West

End. The avenue provides prime views of the White House, the

Washington Monument Grounds, and the Lincoln Memorial.

While the buildings in the Federal Triangle were constructed to

the building line, the museums and the West End institutions

are among the rare Washington buildings that are set back

within generous green lawns. The character of the open space

in these latter two ensembles is open, low, and landscaped.

While the setting of the Federal Triangle buildings alludes to its

urban context, the museums are clearly related to the National

Mall and their position along this grand avenue. The West End

buildings are carefully set back to extend the open and

landscaped character of West Potomac Park across the avenue.

The Constitution Avenue right-of-way is a contributing element

of the historic L'Enfant Plan designation. 

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE

Forming the southern edge of the National Mall, Independence

Avenue was historically a 90-foot right-of-way called Avenue B.

The avenue contains significant and architecturally varied

national museums along the Mall and mid 20th-century federal

office buildings to the south. The Agriculture South Building is

by far the largest building on the avenue. Many of the

Southwest Federal Center office buildings are set back behind

paved plazas, reflecting the conventions of the Modern era of

design and planning. 

The Smithsonian Museum complex includes the colorful Arts

and Industries Building, which preceded the sidewalk abutting

its south façade; the fenced Enid Haupt Garden; the

neoclassically sited Freer Gallery; the Hirshhorn Museum,

whose round shape sweeps away from the avenue but whose

podium defines the building line; and the Air and Space

Museum, whose long length is mitigated by its architectural

design. The Independence Avenue right-of-way is a contributing

element of the historic L'Enfant Plan designation.

Existing Context

Constitution and Independence Avenues are major ceremonial

streets that frame the National Mall. They are also major traffic

arterials of eight lanes that provide off-peak parking.

Constitution Avenue is an elegant boulevard lined with

monumental buildings and wide sidewalks with generous lawn

panels containing mature street trees. Independence Avenue

differs from Constitution Avenue in that the sidewalk is much

narrower with a sporadic and diverse mix of street trees; the

building setbacks vary widely; and the architectural style of the

buildings is diverse. These characteristics bring inconsistency to

the character of this avenue.

Design Framework

The proposed streetscape design for both Constitution and

Independence Avenues is intended to result in a continuous,

dignified appearance, in keeping with the significance of these

major avenues in the Nation's Capital. To the extent possible the

appearance of these avenues should relate to one another. The

streetscape design for both avenues (3rd to 15th Streets)

incorporates a plinth wall located at the inside of the sidewalk.

This wall is used as a unifying element along these avenues,

consistent with the array of architectural styles. 

27

Independence Ave

Constitution Ave

Independence Avenue in front of the

National Air and Space Museum

Constitution Avenue at

the Federal Triangle

Constitution and Independence Avenues
CONSTITUTION AVENUE (5TH TO 15TH STREETS, NW)

The streetscape design proposed for both sides of Constitution

Avenue (5th to 15th Streets, NW) incorporates a plinth wall on

the inside of the existing sidewalk and will result in a streetscape

that is similar to that which exists on the western portion of the

avenue (west of 17th Street). Plinth walls exist within the Federal

Triangle and a low coping stone is currently employed on the

inside of the sidewalk around the Smithsonian museums that are

located on this avenue. The plinth wall design would simply entail

raising this coping stone and, where practical, backfilling.

More specifically, the coping stone located on the inside of the

sidewalk on the Federal Triangle side of the avenue will be raised

and backfilled. The anticipated height of the plinth wall is 2' - 6";

however, as is the case with the existing walls associated with the

National Archives, it may be appropriate to increase this height.

Likewise, the existing wall on the inside of the sidewalk on the

Smithsonian side of the avenue is proposed to be raised and

backfilled and/or buttressed so as to provide the required security

barrier in this area.

Stone bollards and benches are incorporated at building entrances

and at intersections. Retractable steel bollards and/or gate arms

are recommended at vehicle entrances. Guardhouses, as required

in these areas, are to be custom designed as appropriate to the

building architecture or, as is the case with the Smithsonian

Institution and National Gallery of Art, appropriate to the

landscape setting.

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE (4TH TO 14TH STREETS, SW)

Improvements to Independence Avenue will include a

comprehensive tree planting program, and a combination of

plinth walls and custom-designed solutions. The plinth wall

streetscape security solution can be applied to a significant

proportion of the avenue. Many of the existing conditions on the

south side of the avenue are similar to those on the north side of

Constitution Avenue, e.g., building setbacks, elevation changes, etc.

However, conditions on the north side of the avenue are

considerably varied. In some locations, such as at the National

Air and Space Museum, existing raised planters can be expanded,

and at the Hirshhorn Museum, the existing walls may already

constitute a secure perimeter. 

Treatment at building entrances incorporates the same stone

bollards, seat bollards, and benches as those recommended

for Constitution Avenue. While these solutions may be

adequate for a number of buildings, they will not suffice for

those with minimal setbacks, where custom-designed

solutions will be required.

Constitution and Independence Avenues streetscape 

elements include:

n Plinth walls

n Marble or granite bench (2' 6" high, 2' 0" wide, 13' long)

n Marble or granite seat (2' 6" high, 3' 0" wide, length varies)

n Granite bollard (3' 0" high, 14" diameter) with 42" clear

between bollards

n Stone wall (2' 6" high, varying width and length)

n Street trees (8" caliper Elm), as required

28
CONSTITUTION AND INDEPENDENCE AVENUES

29

Constitution Avenue Solution

CONSTITUTION AVENUE (5TH-15TH) SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – PLINTH DESIGN

CONSTITUTION AVENUE (5TH-15TH) SECTION – PLINTH WALL

Constitution Avenue

Plinth Wall

Internal Revenue Service

National Museum of Natural History

Plinth Wall

Seat Bollard
30

Independence Avenue Solution

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE (4TH-14TH) SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – PLINTH DESIGN Arts and Industries Building
CONSTITUTION AVENUE (WEST OF 15TH STREET, NW)

There is no requirement for the provision of perimeter security

on Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets, NW

(adjacent to the Ellipse and the Washington Monument

grounds) because of the adjacent parkland. The security

perimeter for the Washington Monument has been established

within 400 feet of the monument. In addition, there is no

requirement to establish a security barrier on Independence

Avenue west of 15th Street, SW as the avenue is also flanked

by parkland.

No overall streetscape design is proposed on Constitution

Avenue west of 17th Street, NW because no security

requirement exists on the Constitution Gardens or Mall side of

the avenue. The existing buildings on the north side are

substantially set back and incorporate plinth walls at, or just

inside, the sidewalk. Where required, these walls may need to be

raised to meet security requirements. Stone bollards and

benches are proposed to be custom-designed as appropriate to

each of the major entrances of the buildings that require

security improvements on this avenue.

A custom design for the entrance to the Federal Reserve

Building on Constitution Avenue is illustrated as representative

of the design concept proposed for the major building

entrances on the avenue. The majority of the perimeter utilizes

the existing plinth wall (located on the inside of the sidewalk).

The entrance plaza is redesigned to include a large raised

planter on either side of the existing walk (and steps) and

incorporates stone benches and bollards. A recommended

design consideration is to avoid locating bollards or other

security components in close proximity to either the top or

bottom of steps; thus, the benches are shown on the curb or

street side of the sidewalk. 

Streetscape elements proposed for the custom design of 

the entrance security at the Federal Reserve Building on

Constitution Avenue include:

n Planter wall (4' 0" high, 1' 6" wide; match

existing white marble)

n Paving (match existing entrance pattern)

n Marble or granite bench (2' 6" high, 2' 0" wide, 13' long)

n Marble or granite seat (2' 6" high, 3' 0" wide, length varies)

n Granite bollard (3' 0" high, 14" diameter), 42" clear

between bollards

CONSTITUTION AND INDEPENDENCE AVENUES 

31

Constitution Avenue looking east

toward the Federal Reserve
32

Constitution Avenue

Federal Reserve

CONSTITUTION AVENUE (17TH-23RD)

SAMPLE APPLICATION – CUSTOM-DESIGN

CONSTITUTION AVENUE (17TH-23RD) SECTION – CUSTOM-DESIGN

Existing Landscape

Federal Reserve Building

Planter Bollards CONSTITUTION AVENUE THE MALL

Custom-Designed Security

Elements at Major

Building Entrances
Historic Character

The National Mall, with its magnificent memorials and museums,

is identified throughout the world as the physical embodiment of

the ideals of the United States. The Mall is the setting for our

collective history and our public celebrations. From the formal

cross-axis of the Mall to the informal configuration of the Tidal

Basin, from the rectilinear Reflecting Pool to the informal curves

of Constitution Lake, from the graceful rows of elms to the

famous cherry trees, and from the museums to the ball fields, the

Mall has many different characteristics, but is unified by its vast

and open parkland. 

The grounds that collectively comprise what is called "The Mall"

(the National Mall, the Washington Monument Grounds, and

West Potomac Park) are components of the L'Enfant and

McMillan Plans. They and the historic buildings and structures on

them are designated in the National Register of Historic Places

for their historic and architectural significance; their association

with noted architects, landscape architects, sculptors, and planners;

their primacy in the plan and design of the Nation's Capital; and

as the setting for national events. 

Although the Mall has been extended and altered continuously

during the past two centuries, reflecting the evolving history of

the nation, it has become a mature landscape with established

buildings, trees, features, and vistas. The buildings and structures,

visited by millions of people annually, are among our most visible

national symbols. The national museums and memorials have

generous, landscaped settings. The museums are primarily

oriented toward Madison and Jefferson Drives on the Mall. 

Existing Context

Madison and Jefferson Drives are local streets that parallel the

Mall from the Reflecting Pool at 3rd Street to the Washington

Monument grounds at 14th Street. The buildings adjacent to

these drives include the major museums of the Smithsonian

Institution and the National Gallery of Art. 

On Madison Drive, the American History and Natural History

museums and the West Building of the National Gallery of

Art—set back nearly 100 feet from the street—are similar in

scale, massing and materials, and share an existing vocabulary of

walls and planters that are recommended to be incorporated

into the design of security. In contrast, the museums that line

Jefferson Drive vary widely in massing and scale, and setbacks

vary from virtually none (at the Smithsonian Castle) to more

than 100 feet at the Department of Agriculture.

33

National Mall, looking west

View from the Mall looking north at the Museum of Natural History

View from the Mall looking north at the National Archives

The National Mall – Jefferson and Madison Drives
Design Framework

Whereas the historic relationship of both Madison and

Jefferson Drives is identical, and their streetscape designs

should be maintained to the greatest extent possible, the

buildings on Madison Drive have large setbacks and the

majority of those on Jefferson Drive do not. While many of

the same components may be incorporated, physical perimeter

security design solutions will vary on these streets. With the

exception of the proposed consistent plinth wall design for

Madison Drive, security solutions identified as applicable to the

majority of the museums on the Mall are recommended to be

custom-designed.

A common landscape element that runs the length of Madison

Drive is a wide coping stone curb located on the inside edge of

the sidewalk. The security barrier is recommended at this

location. The coping stone is proposed to be raised and used as

the capstone of a new wall. The wall may be backfilled to the

height of the existing retaining wall, resulting in a raised planter

or plinth wall. Stone bollards, benches, and planters are

proposed to be located on the entrance plazas in front of these

major museums. Although the security design of these

entrances will vary to complement the differences in

architecture and site design, the same components are

recommended throughout. Because a coping stone (curb) does

not currently exist on the Madison Drive sidewalk of the East

Building of the National Gallery of Art, the plinth wall solution

may not be applicable in this location and a custom-designed

solution may be required. 

In addition, 4th Street between the East and West Buildings

of the National Gallery presents a different and unique

situation that will require a custom-designed streetscape

security solution.

34

Jefferson

Drive

Madison

Drive

LEGEND

Sample Application Area

Corner Treatment

Green Concept

Plinth Design

Street with less than 30 feet of 

stand-off distance

Custom-Designed Solution
The design of perimeter security measures for the varying

conditions that exist on Jefferson Drive will require a number

of custom-designed solutions. Where there is little or no

setback, stone bollards and/or benches are recommended.

Given the monumental nature of these buildings and the

significance of their major public entrances (both architecturally

and functionally), security in these locations is recommended to

be custom-designed using this family of security components.

Sample Applications 

A plinth wall is illustrated on Madison Drive at the National

Museum of Natural History (NMNH). A custom-design for the

provision of entrance security is also illustrated at the main Mall

entrance. Stone bollards, benches, and planters are located on

the plaza at the entrance to this museum. 

Streetscape elements proposed for Madison and Jefferson

Drives include:

n Washington globe light (Bacon Twin 20), reuse existing

n Street trees (8" caliper Elm), infill existing, as required

n Coping wall (2' 6" high, 2' 0" wide) 

for the entire length of the existing coping stone curb 

n Deciduous shrub (3' BB, full to ground) 

in planter behind wall

n Granite garden curb (6" high, 6" wide)

n Marble or granite bench (2' 6" high, 2' 0" wide, 7' 0"' long)

n Marble or granite seat (2' 6" high, 3' 0" wide, length varies)

n Granite bollard (3' 0" high, 14" diameter) 

with 42" clear between bollards

n Stainless steel bollard (simple cylindrical form, 2' 6" high, 

8" diameter) at 4' on-center

THE NATIONAL MALL – JEFFERSON AND MADISON DRIVES

35

10th Street

THE MALL SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – MADISON DRIVE PLINTH WALL AND CUSTOM-DESIGNED ENTRANCE SECURITY

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Existing Retaining Wall

Raised Planter

or Plinth Wall

Custom-Designed Security Elements at Major Building Entrances

Madison Drive
The National Park Service (NPS) has determined that in

addition to the requirement to provide security (perimeter and

entrance) for the Washington Monument, where a security plan

is currently under development, perimeter security is required

for both the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. With the

exception of establishing a vehicular barrier at the 17th Street

ceremonial entrance to the World War II Memorial, no

additional physical perimeter security is deemed necessary at

this time for the other monuments and memorials located on

the Mall or in West Potomac Park. 

Historic Character 

WASHINGTON MONUMENT

Standing at the cross-axis of the Mall, the Washington Monument

is recognized and beloved as a symbol of the city that bears its

founder's name. Originally designed by Robert Mills and

constructed between 1848 and 1889, the obelisk and grounds

were modified and completed by the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, most notably without the elliptical colonnade that Mills

had envisioned for its base. A generation later, the McMillan Plan

proposed centering the monument within its setting at the

crossing of the two axes of the Mall by embellishing the grounds

with an elaborate Beaux Arts-style landscape plan of plantings,

terraces, and water pools. The plan was not realized. The

monument and its grounds, often referred to as a greensward, are

at the center of the National Capital's Monumental Core and

serve as a natural gathering place for events large and small, public

and private. The Washington Monument was one of the first

historic properties to be listed in the National Register of Historic

Places in 1966. The monument and grounds are recognized as an

element of the historic plan of Washington, D.C. 

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Facing the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol, the

Lincoln Memorial forms the terminus of the McMillan

Commission's extension of the Mall. Henry Bacon's design,

ranked among the most beautiful buildings in Washington, is a

neoclassical reinterpretation of a Greek temple form with

columns in the Doric order. The marble and limestone building,

on a high podium with monumental steps, is set within a circle

that emphasizes the Mall axis through the elaborate landscaped

and terraced base that extends to the Reflecting and Rainbow

Pools. Selected through competition, the memorial was designed

by 1913 and completed in 1922. Daniel Chester French's majestic

sculpture of the seated Lincoln dominates the interior. 

JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

The Jefferson Memorial forms the southern terminus of the

cross-axis of the Mall. The memorial was designed by John

Russell Pope and completed in 1942—after his death—by

Eggers and Higgins. The marble neoclassical rotunda

reminiscent of Jefferson's own designs was famously

controversial in its time but is admired today. The formal,

classical memorial and its monumental terrace and steps are

contrasted by its informal landscape plan by Frederick Law

Olmsted, Jr., and its setting on the Tidal Basin. The dome and

colossal statue of Jefferson by Rudulph Evans are the focus of

magnificent views across the Basin from the White House and

other axial points. The steps of the memorial provide

magnificent views towards the Washington Monument and the

city beyond.

Design Context

The Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson

Memorials are surrounded by generous expanses of open space

that exceed the minimum required standoff distances

determined for these memorials. This response allows for

flexibility in the design of the perimeter security solutions for

these memorials, including the manipulation of topography and

the creation of low walls, planters, and other elements that both

complement and defer to their existing landscape and

architecture. 

Design Framework

Custom perimeter security designs as described in the following

sections are recommended for these Memorials.

37

Lincoln

Memorial Washington

Monument

Jefferson

Memorial

Monuments and Memorials
38

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is one of the nation's most

prominent and visible symbols and one of Washington's most

visited sites. The monument has also been the site of numerous

threatening incidents, and could be the target of a future terrorist

attack. Temporary security at the Washington Monument

includes a ring of jersey barriers and a temporary visitor

screening facility that is attached to the monument’s entrance.

The National Park Service (NPS) has developed a concept plan

for perimeter security improvements for the monument. The

existing walkways would be reconfigured as a series of partial

ovals extending east and west from the monument plaza. These

walkways incorporate retaining or plinth walls to serve as the

vehicular barrier; and individual removable bollards are located at

the intersection of the walkways to allow access by service and

emergency vehicles. This design concept is consistent with the

principles set forth by the Interagency Security Task Force and,

more specifically, those principles that have been proposed for the

design of perimeter security for the monument. The Commission

approved the proposed concept design plan on February 7, 2002

and will be considering final approval at a later date.

Existing temporary security measures
MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS

39

Proposed walkways configured as a series of partial ovals extending east and west

from the Washington Monument plaza would enhance pedestrian approaches.

Proposed Washington Monument grounds with redesigned walkways, plinth walls, and grading

Concept detail of proposed walkways, plinth walls, and berms (grading)

Plinth Walls

Illustration: Laurie Olin
40

Lincoln Memorial

The proposed security design for the Lincoln Memorial consists of a

low wall that encloses the circular mound upon which the memorial

sits. The security perimeter extends across the Mall side of the

closed portion of the circular roadway (incorporating bollards and

planters), and continues in a line of metal bollards on the Mall side

of this road to, and alongside, the steps leading to the Reflecting

Pool. The security perimeter is completed across the axis of the Mall

by placement of stone bollards at the foot of these steps.

Components proposed for the custom-design of security at the

Lincoln Memorial include:

n New plinth wall (2' 6" high, 3' 0" wide, length varies), material

and finish to match the existing exterior stone of the memorial

n Granite planter (3' 0" high, 1' 0" thick) with 5-7 multi-stem

understory specimen trees

n Granite bollard (3' 0" high, 8" diameter, thermal finish) 

with 42" clear between bollards

n Stainless steel retractable bollard (simple cylindrical form, 

2' 6" high, 8" diameter) at 4' on-center

n Re-grade slope and sod inside the wall 

PLANTERS AND RETRACTABLE BOLLARDS ON LINCOLN MEMORIAL CIRCLE

Stone Bollards (across steps)

Planters and Removable Bollards (on drive)

Plinth Wall

ELEVATION

PROPOSED SECURITY ELEMENTS AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL

LINCOL N MEMORIAL CIRCLE
Jefferson Memorial

Security design concepts for the Jefferson Memorial incorporate

site grading, plinth or low retaining walls, and bollards. The

most effective location for a vehicle perimeter is proposed

along East Basin Drive at the eastern and southern edges of

the memorial grounds. Final design solutions are recommended

to incorporate a combination of these elements as dictated by

varying site conditions. Designs are encouraged to fully

integrate the perimeter design as an intrinsic part of the

landscape, insuring that the vehicle barrier is unobtrusive when

viewed in context with the memorial. Security should not

compete with the memorial itself or detract from the pastoral

landscape plan as envisioned by Frederic Law Olmsted, Jr.

41

EXISTING PLAN OF THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS

Service Drive

Proposed Location of

Vehicular Perimeter

Existing Raised Planters
42
43

Historic Character

Comprising the buildings bounded by 17th Street to the east,

Constitution Avenue to the south, 23rd Street to the west, and

E Street to the north, the West End is dominated by large

federal office buildings and a row of architecturally significant

institutional buildings along 17th Street and Constitution

Avenue. The largest and most dominant building in the West

End is the Department of State's Harry S. Truman Building. 

The National Register significance of the historic structures and

places in the West End is derived from the social, architectural,

and planning history of the area; the associations with

significant historical events and movements; and the buildings'

and area's contributions to the character of the city. 

The federal government intended the area west of the White

House to be an enclave of federal buildings, although the 1935

Plan for the Northwest Rectangle, championed by NCPC, was

only partially executed over the years. Nevertheless, the area

contains significant and monumental historic buildings such as

Waddy B. Wood's Department of the Interior Building of 1936

and the State Department's mammoth "stripped classical" style

building. The buildings in the area reveal their architects' desire

in the late Beaux Arts era to create buildings that conveyed

both the established federal image and more modern design

sensibilities. The institutional buildings west of 17th Street and

north of Constitution Avenue create their own sub-context.

These impressive neoclassical style buildings are sited in an

expanse of open space, responding to the McMillan Plan's

desire for a grand avenue adjacent to West Potomac Park and

the Lincoln Memorial. These striking exemplary buildings

precede the Northwest Rectangle Plan, and were contributed by

notable architects such as Cret, Goodhue, and Pope.

Existing Context

Most buildings in the West End are located close to the street,

except those buildings facing Constitution Avenue. These

prominent buildings on large landscaped lots afford a range of

design opportunities to incorporate perimeter security

improvements. Other buildings with small setbacks and narrow

sidewalks afford little opportunity for the design of required

security solutions without consideration of vehicle restrictions

or curb (parking) lane removal. The streetscape design of

perimeter security is further complicated by the differing

security requirements within this area. 

The majority of the north-south streets are major connector

streets and 18th, 19th, and 23rd Streets are major citywide

arterial streets. The east-west streets primarily serve local traffic.

Currently there are a number of temporary traffic restrictions,

including the closures of C and D Streets adjacent to the State

Department and the removal of parking around both the State

Department and the Federal Reserve. A traffic analysis and

assessment of the potential for traffic restrictions and curb lane

removal is recommended in conjunction with the design of

streetscape security solutions in this area.

Constitution Avenue in

front of the Federal

Reserve Building

WEST END AREA

West End
44

Design Framework

Streetscape designs proposed for the West End are

intended to reinforce the green campus-like setting

of the area. Streetscape designs include both green

(bollards in plantings within the existing tree pits)

and plinth security solutions and variations of the

fence wall design proposed for the north-south

streets in the Federal Triangle. These green and

fence designs are proposed both with and without

removal of the curb (parking) lanes.

The green solution consists of a line of bollards in

the tree planting beds. New plantings are included

to soften the introduction of these new elements.

Bollards are incorporated on the sidewalk between

the planting beds, at building entrances, and at

intersection corners. Benches are used at the ends

of the planting beds to emphasize the entrance

plazas. 

Constitution Avenue

In the West End, Constitution Avenue has wide sidewalks, a

more or less continuous existing plinth or planter wall, and

building setbacks that approach or exceed security standoff

requirements. As discussed in the streetscape design for

Constitution and Independence Avenues, proposed security

improvements for the western portion of Constitution Avenue

include the use of the existing plinth walls and the customdesign of security at the major public entrances to these

monumental buildings. Security components include stone

plinth and planter walls, stone benches, and bollards.

Plinth Wall

Fence Wall

Green Design (parking lane removed)

Guardhouse

Street Closed (to normal vehicle traffic)

Corner Treatment

Sample Application Area

D Street Closed

Fence Wall Streetscape Design

Plinth Wall and Custom-Designed Entrance Security

Combination Green and Fence

Wall Streetscape Designs

WEST END KEY PLAN

WEST END KEY PLAN LEGEND
Grid Streets

Variations of the plinth wall security design is recommended, as

required, on the north-south streets (18th through 23rd Streets)

between Constitution Avenue and C Street. Most of these blocks

incorporate existing plinth or low walls that can be increased to

the minimum required height. Where standoff distances are

inadequate, alternatives include either the green design concept,

(bollards in plantings at the existing tree line) or a fence wall

solution at the curb (see the fence wall streetscape design

concept proposed for 18th and 19th Streets at the Department

of the Interior). Green streetscape design can be applied to any

street in the West End. This design is, for all intents and

purposes, the green streetscape design proposed for Maryland

Avenue, SW. 

Where additional standoff distance is required, green streetscape

design is proposed to incorporate the existing parking lane. This

solution is proposed on the south side of C Street from 20th to

21st Streets (adjacent to the Federal Reserve) and may also be

applicable on C Street adjacent to the State Department (from

21st to 23rd Streets). Any restrictions to traffic operations will

need to be mitigated through an overall mobility enhancement

program that would include the development of secure,

centralized parking facilities. 

Several fence wall designs are also proposed for application in

the West End. As with the green streetscape, these designs vary

as to their location and may or may not include removal of

curb/parking lanes. A fence wall is proposed at the curb adjacent

to both the Department of the Interior and the Office of

Personnel Management. From an urban design perspective,

ideally, the fence would be located on the inside of the sidewalk

(on the edge of the building yard); however, this may not provide

the setback (standoff distance) necessary for these buildings.

WEST END

45

Parking Lanes Removed

D Street Closed

WEST END – PROPOSED STREET CLOSURE AND CURB PARKING LANE REMOVAL
On both 21st and 23rd Streets, adjacent to the State

Department, security requirements necessitate taking the curb

lane to ensure adequate standoff distance. The perimeter

security solutions applied to these streets include variations of

the fence wall streetscape design concept. Department of State

security requirements are unique and specific aspects of these

concepts may require custom-design. 

Sample Applications

Illustrated streetscape design solutions in the West End include

application of: the fence wall design to 19th Street between C

and D Streets (adjacent to the Department of the Interior);

green design, with removal of the parking lane, on C Street

between 20th and 21st Streets (adjacent to the Federal Reserve);

and variations of the fence wall design concept, with removal

of the parking lanes, on 21st Street (adjacent to the

Department of State).

FENCE WALL DESIGN (19TH STREET)

As illustrated, the streetscape design on 19th Street

incorporates a metal fence at the curb. Granite pillars and

bollards may be used as alternatives to metal posts and

bollards. Although several examples of grillwork are

illustrated, the design of the fence has yet to be determined.

Other existing streetscape elements such as the street trees,

Twin 20 light standards, etc., will remain.

Streetscape elements of the fence wall streetscape design include:

n Metal fence (2' 6" high, length varies)

n Metal or granite bollard (3' 0" high, 14" diameter at base)

at 42" clear between bollards

n Metal retractable bollard (3' 0" high, 8" diameter), 

at 4' 0" on-center

n Gate arms (as per manufacturer's specification)

46

Staggered Fence Wall

Retractable Bollards and/or

Gate Arms at Vehicle Entrances

WEST END 19TH STREET, NW – SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – FENCE WALL DESIGN
WEST END

47

Staggered Fence Wall

FENCE WALL DESIGN OPTIONS

WEST END ELEVATION 19TH STREET, NW – FENCE WALL DESIGN TYPICAL SECTION – FENCE WALL DESIGN
48

GREEN STREETSCAPE DESIGN (C STREET)

The streetscape design concept illustrated on C Street,

between 20th and 21st Streets, removes the parking lane on

the south side of the street and incorporates the green design

security solution, i.e., bollards within plantings in the tree pits

between the trees. Removal of the parking lane not only

increases the standoff distance but is also necessitated in this

area by the location of a large sewer main under the sidewalk

that prohibits the foundation required for the installation of

security measures.

The security perimeter on the north side of the street

incorporates the existing plinth or planter wall. Security at the

major entrances to these buildings is illustrated as customdesigned, incorporating the security components of bollards,

benches, and planters that are proposed elsewhere within the

West End. The landscaped median in the street is shown as an

amenity and is not intended as security.

Security components proposed for the streetscape design

illustrated on C Street include:

n Curb/parking lane removal

n Extension of the sidewalk (over removed parking lane)

n Extension of plinth wall (2' 6" high, length varies)

n Deciduous or evergreen plantings (3' BB, full to ground), 

in green design

n Granite bench (2' 6" high, 2' 0" wide, 7' 0" long)

n Granite seat (2' 6" high, 3' 0" wide, length varies)

n Granite bollard (2' 6" high, 14" diameter at base), 

at 42" between bollards 

n Stainless steel retractable bollard (2' 6" high, 8" diameter) 

at 4' 0" on-center

n Street trees (8" caliper Elm) at 30 feet on-center 

(infill as required)

Bollards at Major Entrances

Optional Landscape Median

Parking Lane Removed

Bollards in Plantings (Green Design)

FEDERAL RESERVE MARTIN BUILDING

FEDERAL RESERVE ECCLES BUILDING

SECTION

WEST END C STREET, NW – SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – GREEN AND PLINTH WALL STREETSCAPE DESIGNS

Retractable Bollards at

Vehicular Entrance

Raised

Planter/Plinth Wall
WEST END

49

Parking Lane Removal

WEST END ELEVATION ON C STREET IN FRONT OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BUILDING

WEST END SECTION AT C STREET, NW – GREEN AND PLINTH WALL DESIGNS

Green Streetscape Design

Bollards at Building Entrances

Raised Plinth

Wall
50

FENCE WALL CONCEPTS (21ST STREET)

The streetscape design illustrated on 21st Street, adjacent to the

Department of State, includes removal of the parking lanes and

the application of variations of the fence wall security solution. 

The staggered fence wall design locates the security perimeter at

the inside edge of the sidewalk and includes a variety of

components including: pillars, posts, benches, bollards, and gate

arms. Plantings are also part of the fence wall streetscape

design. An alternate illustration places the staggered fence wall

at the curb, which may be a more desirable security solution,

but a less desirable streetscape design. Although these designs

are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended as final

designs, they describe the streetscape elements considered

appropriate to these concepts and to the West End.

Streetscape elements illustrated for application 

on 21st Street include: 

n Curb/parking lane removal

n Extension of the sidewalk (over removed parking lane)

n Deciduous or evergreen plantings (3' BB, full to ground)

n Wood and metal bench (12' 0" long)

n Metal fence (2' 6" high, length varies)

n Granite bollard (2' 6" high, 14" diameter at base), 

at 42" between bollards 

n Stainless steel retractable bollard (2' 6" high, 8" diameter) 

at 4' 0" on-center

n Stainless steel gate arms

n Street trees (8" caliper Oak) at 30 feet on-center 

(new and infill as required)

Staggered Fence Wall

Bench

Fence Wall

WEST END – 21ST STREET, NW – SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – STAGGERED FENCE WALL AND EXISTING PLINTH WALL DESIGNS

ENLARGED

PLAN

FEDERAL RESERVE

STATE DEPARTMENT

Guardhouse,

Retractable Bollards 

and/or Gate Arms at 

Vehicular Entrance

Enhanced Plinth Wall

As Security Element

Existing Curb
WEST END

51

Guardhouse, Retractable Bollards 

and/or Gate Arms

Staggered Fence Wall

Hardened Bench

WEST END 21ST STREET, NW – SECTION – STAGGERED FENCE WALL DESIGN

ENLARGED PLAN–

STAGGERED FENCE

WALL DESIGN

Relocated Streetlight

Retractable Bollards and Gate

Arms at Vehicle Entrances Staggered Fence Wall
52

West End Alternative Solution

Guardhouse, Retractable Bollards 

and/or Gate Arms

Fence Wall at Curb

Enhanced Planter

Wall as Security Element

Existing Curb Parking

Lanes Removed

Fence Wall

Bench

WEST END – 21ST STREET, NW – ALTERNATIVE SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – FENCE WALL AT CURB

PLAN DETAIL
WEST END

53

ELEVATION PLAN – FENCE WALL AT CURB

ELEVATION – FENCE WALL AT CURB

Guardhouse, Retractable Bollards 

and/or Gate Arms

Fence Wall at Curb
ADDITIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

n Although standoff distance can be maximized at the 

curb, fence wall designs incorporating grillwork are 

more appropriately located on the inside of the sidewalk.

Fencing at the curb also requires numerous breaks for

pedestrian safety, egress, etc. The fence wall proposed 

for application at the curb on the north-south streets in

the Federal Triangle may be applicable to this area. 

n Any removal of curb lanes requires a comprehensive

mobility and access strategy, including the development 

of secure, centralized, short-term parking facilities.

n The Department of State is unique in its security

requirements and may require custom-designed 

security solutions. 

n Proposed security components require engineering and

testing to ensure that they satisfy security requirements.

n Underground utility locations are yet to be determined.

54

RETRACTABLE BOLLARDS AND GATE ARMS

BOLLARDS AT BUILDING ENTRANCES

BENCH AND WALL DESIGN OPTIONS
Historic Character 

The Southwest Federal Center reflects the ambitions of post

World War II. Although some federal buildings were

constructed in the late 1930s, the area retained its local

industrial character until the federal government and private

developers transformed the area in the 1960s with new

buildings that espoused the architectural and planning tenets of

Modernism. Office buildings by architects including Marcel

Breuer now dominate the area. 

The Southwest Federal Center has not realized the integrity and

coherence that was envisioned for it, although components of

large-scale public and private sector development, such as

L'Enfant Plaza and the 10th Street promenade, were completed.

As is typical of that era and style, many of the modern

buildings are set back from the street by plazas on structure.

Because of the setbacks, raised roadways, plazas on structure,

and the ramps for underground parking, the nature of the

pedestrian experience is, for the most part, less than optimal. 

The Department of Agriculture South Building is one of the

most significant examples of federal government expansion

during the 1930s (and was once considered the world's largest

office building). In addition, the area's earlier industrial

character is still evident in rehabilitated warehouses and in the

elevated railroad tracks that bisect the precinct. Some of the

federal buildings serve industrial purposes, including the Bureau

of Printing and Engraving and Paul Cret's 1934 Heating Plant.

Maryland Avenue, one of L'Enfant's original avenues, is not

clearly discernable today because of the grade separation for

the railroad tracks along the Maryland and Virginia Avenue

rights-of-way and the 1970s modernist design approach of

sitting buildings in large plazas with a poor relationship between

building and street. The avenue is not enhanced by

distinguished buildings or embellished by streetscape treatments

in the manner of other avenues in Washington. The views

along the right-of-way are not focused or shaped due to a lack

of attention to good urban planning principles that would

reinforce the edges. 

Existing Context

Large federal headquarters, often with associated large plazas,

characterize the Southwest Federal Center area. Although the

initial development of this area reflects the McMillan Plan and

the stripped classicism of the Federal Triangle, the majority of

the buildings are characterized as mid-to-late 20th-century

modern architecture. Maryland Avenue was intended to run

diagonally through the center of the area but was truncated

after two blocks by the B&O Railroad. 

Streetscape designs should be developed and evaluated in

relation to the 10th Street promenade design study and to

existing urban design projects under study, such as the

Southwest Waterfront redevelopment. Designs should repair the

isolated and disconnected condition of this area by emphasizing

pedestrian and vehicular connections and improving pedestrian

circulation patterns. Streetscape design has the potential to

unify the appearance of this area more than any other within

the Monumental Core.

55

Maryland Avenue looking toward the U.S. Capitol

E Street looking toward the U.S. Capitol

Southwest Federal Center
The provision of perimeter security measures in the Southwest

Federal Center area is complicated by several different street

and building typologies. Many of the buildings with a high-level

security requirement have minimum setbacks and may require

curb or parking lane removal to provide a minimum acceptable

standoff distance. Given that several of the north-south streets

are major connector streets, a detailed traffic analysis and

parking assessment is required prior to the removal of curb or

parking lanes in this area. These studies must identify

appropriate mitigation strategies. 

The Southwest Federal Center area is characterized by the

following: n 70,000 people work in the area daily. n Most of the buildings are either owned or leased by the

federal government.

n Architecture is not uniform in scale, style, or quality. n Building setbacks are limited and varied. n The area suffers from a lack of streetscape design,

landscaping, and pedestrian amenities.

n The quality of the environment is perceived negatively. n There are few through streets and most are only a few

blocks in length.

n Parking is extremely limited. n Circulation is difficult and uncoordinated. n Many tourists form their first impression of Washington

when arriving by metro in this area.

Given these characteristics, particularly the conflicting

combination of minimum setbacks and existing traffic and

parking limitations, creative design solutions and strategies to

improve safety, mobility, parking, and aesthetics must be

developed and implemented. 

56

Memorial Site

Special Project

Custom Design

Monumental Avenue

Through Street

Grid Street

Railroad

Sample Application Area

STREET TYPOLOGY LEGEND

SOUTHWEST FEDERAL STREET TYPOLOGY PLAN 14th Street 11th Street 10th Street

7th Street4th Street

3rd Street

Independence Ave

C Street

D Street

E Street
INDEPENDENCE AVENUE

Independence Avenue frames the southern edge of the Mall

and is one of the Capital’s major ceremonial avenues. Although

it shares some of the grand character of Constitution Avenue,

Indepedence Avenue has been neglected and weakend as a

ceremonial street. Streetscape design and application of

streetscape elements can strengthen the character of this avenue

as a ceremonial street and gateway. 

MARYLAND AVENUE

Maryland Avenue is currently in a state of neglect. New

streetscape design has the potential to enhance, strengthen, and

improve the prominence of this important L'Enfant street. 

THE 10TH STREET PROMENADE

In L'Enfant's Plan, 10th Street was intended to link the Mall

with the waterfront and to be a significant axis. L'Enfant Plaza

and the 10th Street promenade were the centerpiece of

Washington's Southwest redevelopment. The National Capital

Planning Commission's recent Memorials and Museums Master

Plan identifies a commemorative opportunity on this

promenade with a major memorial site at the overlook. The

District of Columbia is undertaking a transportation and urban

design study of 10th Street. Streetscape design can re-establish

the pedestrian character of this street while also anticipating a

future connection to the Southwest Waterfront. 

4TH, 7TH AND 14TH STREETS, SW

These north-south streets serve as both vehicular and

pedestrian corridors. The design and application of streetscape

elements, including security components, can improve both

driver and pedestrian experiences on these streets and enable

important connections to the city beyond.

THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO (B&O) RAILROAD

The B&O Railroad currently runs on the rights-of-way of both

Maryland and Virginia Avenues, bifurcating the area, disrupting

the continuity of streets and ultimately impeding mobility

within and throughout the Southwest Federal Center.

Ceremonial axes that should provide orientation and hierarchy

are blocked, and the perception of the area is diminished. In

the Legacy Plan, In NCPC’s framework plan for Washington’s

Monumental Core, Extending the Legacy: Planning America’s Capital

for the 21st Century, the Commission recommends relocation of

the railroad from this area. Such relocation could re-establish

both avenues.

Design Framework

The streetscape designs proposed for the Southwest Federal

Center are intended to establish a coherent design identity for

this area, while at the same time improving pedestrian and

traffic circulation and providing required perimeter security.

Design principles applicable to streetscape designs for the

Southwest Federal Center include:

n IDENTITY

n Introducing streetscape elements unique to the area.

n Reversing the current negative perception of the area.

n Reinforcing the unique character of the predominantly

modern buildings.

n Establishing streetscapes that enhance wayfinding.

n AMENITY

n Mitigating the scale of existing architecture.

n Providing seating and other amenities to enhance the

pedestrian experience.

n Increasing the overall aesthetic quality of the area through

the addition of street trees and the design and placement of

plantings, street furniture, and lighting.

n TRANSPORTATION

n Establishing a sense of hierarchy among existing streets.

n Re-establishing north-south connections.

n Developing solutions for the provision of additional parking

in the area.

n Improving circulation for pedestrians. 

n Developing a Circulator vehicle service.

n SECURITY

n Improving circulation and escape routes.

n Providing the maximum possible security standoff distances.

n Identifying appropriate security components for application

in this area. 

SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

57
Streetscape design concepts in the Southwest Federal Center

include a green streetscape design concept proposed for

Maryland and Virginia Avenues, and variations of planter and

hardened bench concepts, applied to the grid streets in this area. 

Where security is proposed to be located at the curb, existing

trees will almost certainly be impacted. Given that many trees

are currently missing, or of questionable health, a new street

tree planting effort is integral to all of the streetscape design

concepts proposed. This will also help soften the area and

provide consistency and identity to these streets. 

n UNIVERSAL APPLICATION

The following security components are recommended to 

be applied throughout the Southwest Federal Center area:

n Bollards at entries and corners (to maintain the free

movement of pedestrians).

n Removable bollards, as required, for emergency 

vehicle and service access.

n Retractable bollards and/or gate arms at vehicle/service 

or parking garage entrances. (Gate arms are used where

volumes preclude the use of retractable bollards.)

n Guardhouses at vehicular entrances (custom designed 

to be compatible with the building architecture).

n Curb or parking lane removal (where required standoff

cannot be achieved due to limited setback). 

n Traffic calming devices (to reduce the speed of vehicles).

58

PLANTER STREETSCAPE ELEMENT

Elevation

Section

Plan
n MARYLAND AVENUE

Maryland Avenue, and those blocks of Virginia Avenue that

parallel the B&O Railroad tracks, are proposed to incorporate a

green streetscape design. The green design solution consists of

a line of bollards between the street trees. New plantings are

introduced in the tree planting beds to soften the introduction

of these security elements. Bollards are also incorporated on

the sidewalk between the planting beds, at building entrances,

and at intersection corners. Hardened benches are used at the

ends of the planting beds to emphasize the entrance plazas. 

n THE 10TH STREET PROMENADE

The proposed streetscape design for the 10th Street promenade

uses seat planters to create an improved pedestrian scale and to

formalize and beautify the street. The planter streetscape design

concept incorporates large round and linear pre-cast concrete

or stone seat planters on the sidewalk on both sides of the

street. Existing drop-off or pull-out lanes are removed and

replaced with sidewalk so that these planters maintain a

consistent line at the edge of the street. Stainless steel bollards

are used in front of the major entrances to buildings and on the

street corners.

Because 10th Street is built on structure, large trees cannot be

introduced into this streetscape, but large shrubs such as crepe

myrtle are recommended to provide scale and elegance. The

green median strip also provides an opportunity for the location

and design of future memorials.

Special conditions exist in association with the Department of

Energy that will require custom design solutions in this area.

n GRID STREETS

Variations of the planter streetscape design concept are

applicable to all of the grid streets within the Southwest Federal

Center area. Specially designed seat planters and benches are

recommended as the primary security components. Streetscape

designs may vary in the design and application of these

elements. For most streets, these components are proposed to

be located in the removed curb or parking lane. If curb lanes

are retained, then the alternative streetscape design concept

should be applied. 

SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

59

BENCH STREETSCAPE ELEMENT

Plan

Elevation

Section
As illustrated on 4th and D Streets, SW, an alternative

streetscape is proposed that does not require the removal of a

parking lane. Security elements are located at the curb and, due

to the likely damage to existing street trees in this area, new

street trees are recommended throughout. A rhythm of new

bollards, street lights, seat bollards, benches, and trash cans

provide security infill between the trees. 

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the Holocaust

Museum have designed and implemented permanent security

measures on 14th and 15th Streets. Future permanent security

improvements on these streets should reflect the design of

these existing solutions.

Sample Applications

Illustrated streetscape security design solutions in the Southwest

Federal Center include various applications of the planter and

bench design concepts as illustrated: on the 10th Street

promenade (adjacent to L'Enfant Plaza); on 4th Street, between

D Street and the B&O Railroad overpass; on D Street, between

7th and 9th Streets; and on E Street, between 3rd and 4th

Streets. The green design is illustrated on Maryland Avenue.

n INDEPENDENCE AVENUE

Reference Constitution and Independence Avenue Section 

of the Plan.

60

BOLLARD STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS

Plan

Section

Elevation

TREE AND BOLLARD STREETSCAPE ELEMENT
SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

61

MARYLAND AVENUE

The application of the green streetscape design illustrated for

Maryland Avenue includes tree-planting beds with a double

allee of trees and a line of bollards. New plantings are

introduced to soften the introduction of these security

elements. Bollards are also incorporated on the sidewalk

between the planting beds, at building entrances, and at

intersection corners. Benches are used at the ends of the

planting beds to emphasize entrance plazas. 

6TH STREET

MARYLAND AVENUE

Green Design Bollards in Plantings

ENLARGED PLAN

Bollards at Major Building Entrances

MARYLAND AVENUE SAMPLE APPLICATION – GREEN STREETSCAPE DESIGN

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE

Maryland Avenue Streetscape Design

Bollards in Plantings

ENLARGED PLAN – GREEN DESIGN

(BOLLARDS IN PLANTINGS)

TYPICAL SECTION – GREEN DESIGN

Stone Benches Stone Seat Bollards

Bollards in Plantings
62

Proposed Maryland Avenue

streetscape design looking

toward the U.S. Capitol

Existing conditions

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
10TH STREET, SW

The streetscape design illustrated on 10th Street is one variation

of the planter design concept that incorporates a continuous

row of seat planters at the curb on both sides of the street. The

predominant planter is a 9' 6"-wide by approximately 24’-long

seat planter with 9' 6" round seat planters used to create a

rhythm interrupted only by bollards at the major public

entrance to the U.S. Postal Headquarters and on the corners of

the entrance and exit drives to L'Enfant Plaza. Existing street

lights will remain. 

In addition, a median is introduced into the existing roadway.

This median is illustrated as a landscaped park and may include

the location of a future memorial. The median is not required

for security, and the design of the median may vary in width

and location. Coordination is required with the District's urban

design study of this street. A study of the condition and

capacity of the existing structure is also required prior to the

design and construction of any improvements.

Streetscape elements illustrated for 10th Street include:

n Pre-cast concrete or stone seat planter 

(2' 6" high, 9' 6" diameter), 42" between planters

n Pre-cast concrete or stone seat planter 

(2' 6" high, 9' 6" wide, 24' 0" long), 42" between planters

n Stainless steel cylindrical bollard 

(2' 6" high, 8" diameter, 4' 0" on center)

n Median, landscape treatment may vary

SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

63

10th Street, SW – Sample Application – Planter Design

TYPICAL ELEVATION

10TH STREET, SW – SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – PLANTER STREETSCAPE DESIGN

Bollards at Corners and

Building Entrances

Round Seat Planter Linear Seat Planter
64

Proposed 10th Street, SW

streetscape design looking south

Existing conditions

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

65

E STREET, SW

The streetscape design for E Street, between 3rd and 4th

Streets, illustrates a security barrier on only one side of the street

(adjacent to NASA). Although most streets in the Southwest

Federal Center will require security on both sides, there is no need

to install perimeter security where it is not required. 

The illustrated streetscape security design incorporates a

combination of both round and long seat planters and

hardened benches at the curb of the expanded sidewalk (over

the removed parking lane). Existing street trees are maintained.

Lane removal and location of the security perimeter at the

relocated curb achieve the best possible security standoff on

this street. This streetscape design also helps reduce the scale of

the street, slows traffic, and improves the pedestrian

environment. Plant materials also help develop character and

provide beauty.

ADDITIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

n Given the limited standoff distance that exists throughout the

majority of the Southwest Federal Center, proposed security

solutions are either at the existing curb or along a new curb

within an extended sidewalk to replace the curb (parking) lanes.

n Although curb lane removal and expansion of the sidewalk

may provide additional standoff, they should be limited to only

those streets where absolutely required.

n All curb lane removals must be undertaken in tandem with a

comprehensive program to expand short-term parking

opportunities through the development of secure, central

parking facilities, and to enhance mobility through

implementing the Circulator vehicle.

n Streetscape design and implementation for the 10th Street

promenade will require analysis of the structural capacity and

condition of this elevated roadway. 

n The Department of Energy is unique in its security

requirements and will require custom-designed security

solutions.

n With its narrow sidewalks on Independence Avenue and 14th

Street, the Department of Agriculture will require customdesigned security solutions.

n Future security improvements on 14th Street should reflect the

permanent security installed by the Bureau of Printing and

Engraving and the Holocaust Museum. 

n Proposed custom-designed security components require

engineering and testing to ensure that they satisfy security

requirements.

n Underground utility locations are yet to be determined.

E STREET, SW – ELEVATION

UNSECURED PARKING GARAGE

Existing Curb – Parking Lane Removed

E STREET, SW – SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – PLANTER STREETSCAPE DESIGN Seat Planters Bench Guardhouse

Retractable Bollards at

Vehicular Entrances

Bollards at Building Entrances

E Street, SW

E STREET
66

Proposed E Street, SW

streetscape design looking east

(with parking lane removed)

Existing conditions

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

67

4TH STREET, SW

The streetscape design illustrated for 4th Street (between C

Street and the B&O Railroad overpass) is a variation of the

planter design concept. This streetscape incorporates a row of

9' 6" round seat planters located on the extended sidewalk (over

the removed curb lane) on both sides of the street. This

repetition of planters is intended to provide both identity and

consistency to the street. Plant materials are used to develop

street character and provide beauty. Stainless steel bollards are

located in front of the major entrance to the FEMA building;

on the street corners, and at the vehicle service entrances to

parking. A guardhouse is also proposed in this location. The

existing streetlights are relocated to the new curbs. Existing

street trees are retained. 

Streetscape elements illustrated for 4th Street include:

n Curb (parking) lane removal

n Extension of sidewalk (over removed curb lane)

n Pre-cast concrete or stone seat planter 

(2' 6" high, 9' 6" diameter), 42" between planters

n Stainless steel cylindrical bollard 

(2' 6" high, 9' 6" diameter, 4' 0" on center)

n Stainless steel cylindrical retractable bollard 

(2' 6" high, 8" diameter, 4' 0" on center)

n Gate arm, as per manufacturer's specifications

n Guardhouse, custom designed to relate to the 

building architecture

n Street trees, infill with the existing species, as required

4TH STREET, SW – TYPICAL SECTION

TYPICAL ELEVATION

Department of Education

Existing Curb and Parking Lane Removed

C STREET

4TH STREET

Washington

Design Center

4TH STREET, SW – SAMPLE APPLICATION PLAN – PLANTER STREETSCAPE

Bollards at Building Entrance Guardhouse

Seat Planters

Existing Curbs and

Parking Lanes Removed

3’ -8’ Maximum Clearance

Retractable Bollard at Vehicular Entrance

Parking Lanes Removed

4th Street, SW– Proposed Approach
68

Proposed 4th Street,

SW streetscape design

looking south (parking

lane removed)

Existing conditions

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

69

4th Street Alternative Approach

4TH STREET, SW – ALTERNATIVE SAMPLE APPLICATION BOLLARD AND BENCH DESIGN (NO PARKING LANE REMOVED)

TYPICAL SECTION – D STREET 

BOLLARD AND BENCH DESIGN

TYPICAL BOLLARD AND BENCH ELEVATION – 4TH STREET, SW

Newspaper Kiosk

Department of Education

Seat Bollard and

Hardened Light

Washington

Design Center

FEMA

C STREET

Bench Bollards

Guardhouse

Retractable Bollards at 

Vehicle Entrances

Bollards

Seat Bollards

Bench

Hardened Lights
70

D STREET, SW

The block of D Street between 7th and 9th Streets,

adjacent to GSA's regional headquarters and the

Department of Housing and Urban Development

(HUD), is illustrated as an example of the application of

the Southwest Federal Center area's streetscape elements.

The curb/parking lane is removed on both sides of the

street. The security barrier on the GSA side incorporates a

row of custom-designed hardened benches with bollards

placed between the benches and in front of the main

public entrance to the building. The HUD-side security

barrier incorporates a row of four-foot diameter pre-cast

concrete or stone seat bollards. The typical use of

stainless steel bollards on street corners and at

vehicle/service entrances is also included. In that few

trees currently exist in the narrow sidewalk on this side of

the street, new street trees are shown in the widened

sidewalk. These trees will help unify the street.

This streetscape illustration is representative of the

application of these streetscape elements to some of the

varying conditions that exist within the Southwest

Federal Center, e.g., the narrow sidewalk and block-long

building wall of the GSA building and the contrasting

building setback and large ground level plaza of the

HUD building. 

Streetscape elements illustrated for D Street include:

n Curb (parking) lane removal

n Extension of sidewalk (over removed curb lane)

n Metal bench (3' 2" high, 15' 6" long), wood or metal

slats; one sided 3' 0" wide; two sided 6' 0" wide

n Pre-cast concrete or stone seat bollard 

(2' 6" high, 4' 0" diameter), 42" between bollards

n Pre-cast concrete or stone seat bollard 

(2' 6" high, 4' 0" square), 42" between bollards

n Stainless steel cylindrical bollard 

(3' 0" high, 8" diameter, 4' 0" on center)

n Stainless steel cylindrical retractable bollard 

(3' 0" high, 8" diameter, 4' 0" on center)

n Gate arm, as per manufacturer's specifications

n Guardhouse, custom designed to relate to the building

architecture

n Street trees (8" caliper oak), new and infill as required

D Street, SW– Proposed Approach

Seat Bollards at Building Entrances Hardened Benches

Guardhouse

Retractable Bollards

and/or Gate Arms

at Vehicular Entrances

Parking Lanes Removed

D STREET, SW – SAMPLE PLAN APPLICATION – BENCH AND BOLLARD DESIGN

TYPICAL BENCH AND BOLLARD SECTION

SECTION

New Street Trees with Posts

Seat Bollards

Existing Curbs and

Removed Parking Lanes Bench
SOUTHWEST FEDERAL CENTER

71

Proposed D Street, SW

streetscape design looking

west toward Department

of Housing and Urban

Development (with

parking lane removed)

Existing conditions

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
72

Bollard Line

Bollards

Bollards

Retractable Bollards

and/or Gate Arms

New Hardened

Street Light

Hardened Newspaper

Vending

Hardened

Benches

Bollards at Corners

D STREET, SW – TYPICAL BOLLARD AND BENCH DESIGN – ELEVATION TYPICAL SECTION

D STREET, SW ALTERNATIVE SAMPLE APPLICATION – BENCH AND BOLLARD DESIGN (NO PARKING LANE REMOVAL)

Hardened

Newspaper Vending

Benches

SECTION

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE

The Independence Avenue streetscape design concept

incorporates a combination of plinth wall and customdesigned components. Stainless steel bollards are

located on the street corners. Pre-cast or stone benches

and seat bollards are located at building entrances. (See

the Constitution and Independence Avenue Section of

the Plan for additional information.)

D Street Alternate Approach (without curb lane removal)
73

Historic Character

The Downtown, a contextual area in the Northwest quadrant

of the city, is roughly bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue on

the south, Massachusetts Avenue on the north, and 3rd Street

on the east to 25th Street on the west. As is typical in an area

that has developed over time, the variety of styles, scales, and

materials presents lively and differentiated street frontages.

The many historic buildings in the Downtown, varying in the

quality and interest of their architecture, are associated with a

range of historical events and persons and the development

of the local city. 

The area began to develop, if slowly, as soon as the seat of

government was established. Some of the oldest surviving

structures in the city are included in the Downtown Historic

District, in the 800 block of F Street, and as individually

designated buildings. The Foggy Bottom Historic District

reflects the modest neighborhood that developed near the

Potomac River. The earliest surviving tall buildings, the

historic department stores, and historic sites such as Ford's

Theater are located in the Downtown. The federal

government established an early presence with the Old City

Hall, the Patent Office, and the General Post Office. 

The western portion of the Downtown, especially along K

Street, was redeveloped in the mid-20th century as residential

buildings were demolished to make way for large commercial

buildings. Although many churches moved out of the

Downtown in the early decades of the last century, some

prominent examples remain. Many of the elegant row houses

around Dupont Circle have been preserved, but rapid growth

throughout the 20th century has brought great change to the

Circle itself. To the east, the residential scale of Logan Circle

and its surrounding streets has been preserved. 

Existing Conditions

Although a number of streetscape components, such as street

lighting, tree species, and curb materials are standardized

throughout the Downtown, other streetscape standards for

variations in the elements of street furniture create character

definition throughout the area. For example, the Downtown

Business Improvement District includes neighborhood

streetscape overlays with their own character and context for:

Judiciary Square, Chinatown, and the 15th Street Financial and

Downtown Historic areas. The Business Improvement District

has also designated special streetscapes for the K, F and 7th

Special Streets.

Typical downtown sidewalks with tree planting beds and other streetscape

elements, including temporary security elements

Downtown
74

Pennsylvania Avenue

Diagonal Avenues

Interstate 395

Special Streets

PADC

Pennsylvania Avenue

Sample Application Area

Grid Streets

DOWNTOWN STREET TYPOLOGY AND KEY PLAN

DOWNTOWN STREET TYPOLOGY AND KEY PLAN

LEGEND
75

Design Framework 

The Downtown is unique in that there are a number of federal

buildings located in close proximity to private buildings;

however only a few of these federal facilities will likely require

perimeter security. The Task Force recognizes the distinction

between federally owned and federally leased space. Where

security has been determined as necessary for federally owned

facilities, agencies are in the process of installing perimeter

measures on an interim basis. For leased space, the focus has

been on operational procedures. It is important, given the

transitional nature of lease agreements, that the federal

government not require perimeter security around all federally

leased space. 

Streetscape designs proposed for the Downtown are intended

to reinforce the existing streetscape. Although the addition of

security components may only be needed on a few blocks, or a

portion of a block, it is the intent that the look of the

streetscape will not vary significantly among public and private

properties. Streetscape elements of the DCDOT, Business

Improvement District, and/or other applicable streetscape

standards will be maintained throughout the area and hardened

only where security needs demand. The Federal Bureau of

Investigation could be used as a Downtown demonstration

project to guide future implementation in this area.

A hierarchy of streetscape security design solutions is

established by the combination of varying setbacks and security

requirements of the buildings located on the avenues and grid

streets in the Downtown. 

n Grid and Special Streets

The Downtown city grid streets and their sidewalks tend to be

narrower than those of the avenues. Proposed streetscape

designs applicable to these grid streets incorporate hardened

components of the Business Improvement District's streetscape

design elements that include street lighting, tree fence

enclosures, benches, bicycle racks, trash and newspaper vending

containers, and the introduction of bollards. Special Street

streetscape designs may also incorporate hardened designs for

special signage, kiosks, and a specially designed café enclosure

(fence wall). Security requirements typically require that the

security barrier be at the curb.

n Diagonal Avenues

Diagonal Avenues typically have broad rights-of-way that can

accommodate landscape-oriented streetscapes with widened

street tree panels and sidewalks. The proposed Diagonal

Avenue streetscape design incorporates a tree enclosure fence

wall at the back of the planting strip, next to the sidewalk.

Where necessary to ensure the required security spacing,

bollards will connect between fence segments. Hardened

benches are also employed.

Sample Applications

Typical streetscape security design solutions have been

illustrated for each of the street typologies. A typical Grid

Street streetscape design is illustrated on E Street, between 9th

and 10th Streets, NW. A block of F Street, NW is illustrated as

the typical Special Street, and a typical Diagonal Avenue

streetscape design is illustrated on the block of Vermont

Avenue north of K Street, NW. 

DOWNTOWN
76

Bike Racks

Bench

Trash Receptacle

Tree Pit Enclosure Bollards

Post and Fence 

Tree Pit Enclosure

Bench Newspaper Vending Trash

Receptacle

Streetlight Bike Rack Bollard Tree Pit Enclosure

DOWNTOWN GRID STREET – HARDENED STREET FURNITURE

GRID STREET – TYPICAL SECTION GRID STREET – TYPICAL ELEVATION

Grid and Special Streets

The Grid Street streetscape design concept, as previously described, utilizes

hardened components of the Downtown Business Improvement District's (BID)

streetscape elements, including: street light standards, tree fence enclosures, benches,

bicycle racks, trash and newspaper vending containers, and the introduction of

bollards. The Special Street streetscape design includes the above elements and also

may incorporate hardened special signage, kiosks, and a café enclosure (fence/wall).

These are described below:

TYPICAL GRID STREET STREETSCAPE

n Washington Globe light at approximately 40 feet on-center

n Street trees at approximately 30 feet on-center

n Tree enclosure fence/wall (on the outside of the tree planting bed)

n Bench (Downtown BID)

n Bike rack (Downtown BID)

n Trash container (Downtown BID)

n Newspaper condo (Downtown BID)
DOWNTOWN

77

Bollards at Building Entrances

SECTION

Hardened

Bench

Post & Fence Tree Newspaper Vending

Bollards at Corners Newspaper Vending Bollards at Building Entrances

Bollards at Corners

(Varying Configurations)

Vending

Enclosure

Tree Pit

Enclosure Bench

Post & Fence 

Tree Enclosure

DOWNTOWN GRID STREET – ELEVATION

DOWNTOWN GRID STREET SAMPLE – APPLICATION – AREA PLAN

Bollards at

Building

Entrances Washington

Globe Light

(Hardened)
Proposed Downtown Grid Street

depicting hardened street furniture

streetscape design (15th Street looking

south across from the Treasury Building)

Existing conditions

78

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
DOWNTOWN

DOWNTOWN – SPECIAL STREET – SAMPLE APPLICATION – AREA PLAN

SPECIAL STREET – ADDITIONAL HARDENED STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS

Typical Special Street Streetscape

n Washington Globe light (Twin 20 or Twin 25), at 40 feet on-center

n Street trees at 20 feet on-center (pairs at 50 feet on-center)

n Tree enclosure fence/wall (on the inside of the tree planting bed)

n Bench (Downtown BID)

n Bike rack (Downtown BID)

n Trash container (Downtown BID)

n Newspaper condo (Downtown BID)

n Special signage (Downtown BID)

n Kiosk (news, flower, etc.), (Downtown BID)

n Café enclosure/fence (to be determined)

n Bollard

Vendor Units Kiosks Units Bus Shelter

Bollards Tree Pit Enclosure Kiosk Benches

Existing Signage Signage (Hardened)

Hardened

Streetlight

Sign Newspaper Vending

Café Planter

DOWNTOWN SPECIAL STREET – ELEVATION

79
80

Existing conditions

Proposed Downtown Special

Street streetscape design

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
81

DOWNTOWN

DOWNTOWN DIAGONAL AVENUE – HARDENED STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS

DOWNTOWN DIAGONAL AVENUE SAMPLE APPLICATION-AREA PLAN

DOWNTOWN DIAGONAL AVENUE – ELEVATION

Bollards at Corner

Decorative Fence Wall Hardened Streetlight

Hardened Sign

Hardened Bench

Diagonal Avenues

The proposed Diagonal Avenue streetscape design proposes to incorporate a tree

enclosure fence wall at the back of the planting strip, next to the sidewalk. Bollards,

benches, and other hardened street furniture are located between the fence wall

segments to ensure the required security spacing. Characteristics of the hardened

streetscape design are:

Typical Diagonal Avenue Streetscape

n Washington Globe light (Twin 20), at approximately 40 feet on-center

n Street trees (staggered double row), at approximately 40 feet on-center, or a single

row of trees with additional landscape planting in the building yard

n Tree enclosure fence wall (on the inside of the tree planting bed)

n Bollard

Additional Design Considerations

n The design of hardened streetscape components should be compatible with

the design of the existing street furniture, as applicable, e.g., the DCDOT

Streetscape Manual, Downtown BID, etc.

n Proposed hardened street furniture and other elements require engineering and

testing to ensure that they satisfy security requirements.

n Underground utility locations are yet to be determined.

Decorative Fence Wall Bench

Streetlight (Hardened)

Bollard

Bollards (at Building Entrance)
82

Existing conditions

Proposed Downtown Diagonal

Avenue streetscape design

Illustration: Christopher Grubbs
Implementation Strategy

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan illustrates

principles and concept design solutions for design

development of security measures and provides

recommendations for the efficient and cost effective

implementation of these improvements.

The implementation approach comprises several phases 

to ensure that security and streetscape improvements are

appropriately planned, designed, installed, and maintained. 

A program and funding strategy will be forwarded to the Office

of Management and Budget for consideration as an addendum

in the Federal Capital Improvements Program (FCIP).

The program and funding strategy is organized by project, and

will include preliminary cost estimates for design studies. The

projects range in size from one block–affecting one agency that

may be constructed in one phase–to numerous blocks, affecting

multiple agencies that may be phased in over an extended

period of time. The following tasks are required to prepare a

reliable cost estimate:

1. Assessment of the threat risks to federal facilities.

2. Design of proposed security improvements that are specific

to individual risk assessments.

3. Testing of the structural integrity of the various security

elements proposed in the Plan, such as hardened benches,

light poles, etc.

4. Parking and traffic studies to determine the effects on

traffic and pedestrian circulation.

The Plan recommends that the following projects and studies

be given priority. The projects are critical because of either their

prominence and symbolic significance in the Monumental Core

or their relationship to each other as cohesive streetscape

projects. The studies are important because they will guide

future design and implementation activities. 

PROJECTS

Pennsylvania Avenue (White House)

Pennsylvania Avenue (3rd to 15th Streets)

Constitution Avenue

Federal Triangle (including the Department of Justice)

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Department of State

Circulator White House-Capitol Loop

STUDIES

Streetscape Component Structural Testing

Mobility and Parking Impact Studies for Recommended Curb

Lane Removal

Pennsylvania Avenue and E Street Tunnel Feasibility Study

Implementation of the perimeter security projects will require a

carefully planned construction schedule. Construction should

be planned in conjunction with other scheduled public works

projects and phased so that work does not impact scheduled

national events. It will also be important to minimize disruption

to pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation during

construction throughout the Plan's implementation.

Additionally, improvements to federal properties Downtown

must be closely coordinated with the District of Columbia to

properly plan for the funding, planning, design and

construction of these streetscape projects. Ideally, security

improvements along a block or portion of a block should be

planned in conjunction with the entire streetscape in

accordance with the plans of the Downtown Business

Improvement District and the District of Columbia.

83

IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
Projects

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan identifies three types of projects to

implement a unified vision, ensure cost efficiency, and minimize disruption due to

construction. The three types include: Street, Area, and Agency Projects. 

Street Projects and Area Projects. Street and Area Projects apply to those areas where

building perimeter security is accomplished within the sidewalk or curb lane. A Street

Project is one that affects a primary street, such as Constitution Avenue, and that runs

along one side of multiple buildings. Since most buildings occupy an entire block,

several Street Projects must be implemented to secure all sides of a building. Area

Projects are made up of numerous smaller secondary streetscape projects, and can be

organized to secure the remaining perimeters of a building. 

Agency Projects. Two situations warrant projects to be implemented by an individual

agency. The first applies to agencies that perform functions central to national security

and warrant immediate installation of security measures. The second type includes those

buildings where perimeter security is accomplished in the area surrounding the building

yard or memorial under the jurisdiction of the sponsoring agency. For example,

securing pedestrian entries into the building often occurs in the building yard and often

warrants a custom-design. 

84

STREET PROJECTS

AGENCY PROJECTS

AREA PROJECTS

Building Yard Sidewalk Curb Lane

Agency Projects Street and Area Projects

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

Agency Projects

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Jefferson Memorial

Justice Department

Lincoln Memorial 

National Gallery of Art

State Department

Smithsonian Institution

Washington Monument

Area Projects (Secondary Street Projects)

Federal Triangle

Southwest Federal Center

The National Mall

West End

Downtown

Street Projects (Primary Street Projects) 

Pennsylvania Avenue 

(White House)

Pennsylvania Avenue

(3rd to 15th St., NW)

Constitution Avenue

(3rd to 15th St., NW)

Independence Avenue

3rd to 14th St., NW)

Maryland Avenue, SW 

10th Street, SW
IMPLEMENTATION

85

Project Design

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan illustrates conceptual

designs and applies them to typical blocks as sample applications. It is

intended to illustrate continuity, proportion, composition, and

materials that fit within the context of a contextual area or

monumental street. Further design development will entail applying

the sample application to site-specific conditions for each project.

Depending on the scope and location of a project, there may be a

wide range of site-specific conditions that require special treatments.

There are four key considerations that must be addressed

when designing streetscape projects to integrate building

perimeter security. 

n Risk Assessment and Level of Protection. As agencies

conduct risk assessments—considering such factors as agency

function, number of employees and visitors, building design

and construction, and relationship of the building to the

street—the Federal Protective Service and/or others need to

evaluate the recommended level of protection. It is not

appropriate for the Commission to make recommendations or

determinations of the level of protection.

The Commission is concerned that the agencies may have a

natural tendency to elevate the required level of protection

and thus over-design for security. Therefore, the

Commission recommends that the federal government

develop a protocol to determine the appropriate level of

protection. This will determine the final design and

construction standards of the security components to be

incorporated into the streetscape design.

n The Security Threat. Many variables are considered when

determining the standards of the security component,

including the magnitude of threat (size and weight of vehicle),

the potential speed and angle of the vehicle’s approach, and

the distance between the site perimeter and the building. After

each agency determines the threat against which it needs to

protect, the streetscape security components will be

specifically designed for that site. Barriers will be selected or

custom-designed to stop a vehicle of a given weight traveling

at a given speed.

n Location of Underground Systems. While the above-grade

elements can be aesthetically attractive, some may require

substantial below-grade structural systems that will compete

with the location of underground structures, utilities, and tree

roots. Before a final design solution can be implemented, a

survey will be required to determine the location of

underground structures and utilities, and an evaluation will be

conducted to determine the impact of nearby trees and root

systems. The type of structural system must be carefully

considered and alternative structural systems and installation

techniques investigated, such as core drilling for pile footing,

when determining the final design and location of the security

components. Scrupulous care must be taken to protect existing

trees for both aesthetic and security reasons. In some cases, the

feasibility of installing streetscape components for security will

be affected by these underground conditions and will

significantly influence the location of the security elements, and

the cost of installation. 

n Streetscape Component Design and Testing. The magnitude

of a potential threat influences the design of security

components. While the proposed streetscape elements have

been designed based on existing components, many will

require testing to prove their effectiveness prior to final design

of a streetscape plan. Assessment and engineering of the

streetscape components should begin immediately to

determine which components must be tested. 

Additionally, there are a number of operational issues that may

be considered and applied to site-specific conditions during

design development, such as:

n Vehicular Entries to Buildings. Typically guardhouses are

located at vehicular entries to buildings. The location of these

guardhouses must accommodate adequate staging areas for

vehicles and at the same time allow pedestrian and vehicular

traffic flow to continue unimpeded. Generally, guardhouses

are located within the building yard and should be customdesigned to reflect the architecture of the building they serve.

If conditions warrant a guardhouse to be located at the curb,

the design of the guardhouse should reflect the character of

the streetscape. Additionally, secured vehicle entrances require

removable or retractable bollards, gates, or plate barriers.

These elements must be able to accommodate highly

repetitive usage. 

n Access to Sidewalks and Building Entries. Typically, a family

of bollards, planters, or bench furnishings secures

intersections and building pedestrian entrances. Careful

consideration must be given to allow free and easy

pedestrian movement, including handicap and wheelchair

access to the sidewalk and building entrances. The design of

a secure perimeter must accommodate emergency vehicles

and maintenance equipment such as utility trucks,

motorized cleaners, and snow plows, and allow easy access

to Metro stops.

n Sidewalk and Street Activities. Design solutions must be

compatible with vital daily activities such as tourism,

commerce, and pedestrian and vehicular movement. Security

elements located at the curb or edge of the sidewalk should

not unduly impede pedestrian access to various sidewalk and

street activities, such as vendor stations, or parade viewing and

demonstration areas, particularly along parade routes that

travel the ceremonial streets, such as Pennsylvania,

Constitution, and Independence Avenues. The designs must

accommodate bleachers, tents, and review stands that are used

during these significant events. 

Special design features may be needed on some security elements

to discourage improper use of the element, e.g., sloping the top

surface of a plinth wall to prevent improper use, such as

skateboarding or collection of debris. 

All design soluxtions, particularly Downtown, must consider

vendor activity, the location of parking meters, and directional

signs. Adequate flexibility should be maintained in the placement

and density of security elements to accommodate land use

changes, mobile vendor kiosks, and sidewalk cafes.
86

Approval and Permitting

Implementation of building perimeter security will require

constructing improvements in the building yard, sidewalk, and

possibly the street. In many cases, the streetscape projects will lie

within multiple jurisdictions, including some combination of the

affected federal agency, the District of Columbia, the National

Park Service, and/or the General Services Administration. 

Consequently, perimeter security projects may require approvals

from multiple agencies, including the National Capital Planning

Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Projects must

comply with applicable federal and local codes, regulations and

acts, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the

National Historic Preservation Act. Additionally, permits may be

required from the District of Columbia since a majority of

anticipated improvements are proposed for property under the

District's jurisdiction. 

As specific streetscape designs are finalized, site-specific

conditions must be addressed. Although the Plan is a framework,

it is expected that the final designs will strive to comply with the

intent of the Plan and draw upon the vocabulary of elements in

the Streetscape Element Catalogue. The location and arrangement

of security elements must be designed in a manner that is

appropriately consistent and compatible with solutions for other

buildings and blocks along the street. Agencies submitting specific

project proposals that do not comply with the design guidance of

this Plan will need to provide adequate justification to the

Commission in conjunction with any request for approval. 

Traffic and Parking Studies

The National Capital Planning Commission will coordinate with

the District of Columbia Department of Transportation to

resolve outstanding transportation issues resulting from

proposals for perimeter security projects. Studies may include:

n A traffic study of Independence Avenue to determine the

feasibility of lane reconfiguration or removal to

accommodate the widening of the sidewalk on the north

side of Independence Avenue. 

n A traffic study and parking analysis to evaluate the impact

of permanent vehicle restrictions and/or parking lane

removal adjacent to the State Department.

n A traffic study and parking analysis to evaluate the impact

of parking lane removal in the Southwest Federal Center,

and recommend parking loss mitigation measures, such as

parking garages.

National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic

Preservation Act (NEPA and NHPA)

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan is a concept

framework that will guide the planning, design, and

implementation of uniform or compatible streetscape

treatments. The improvements proposed in the Plan may have

various impacts on environmental and historic resources.

However, the Plan's concept designs have not been sufficiently

developed to permit appropriate environmental or historic

preservation review in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). As design

development proceeds, these impacts may need to be further

analyzed, evaluated, and potentially mitigated in accordance

with NEPA and NHPA.

Some cultural and environmental resources may be affected in

the application of site-specific design solutions. For example,

much of the area covered by the Plan includes properties listed

on the National Register of Historic Places, including the

Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site and the Lafayette

Square Historic District. In addition, rights-of-way of the

streets and avenues within the original L'Enfant Plan are listed

as part of the historic plan of Washington, D.C. The

reservations of the L'Enfant Plan, including the circles and

squares, the National Mall, West Potomac Park, and President's

Park, are part of the National Register designation. Additionally,

environmental considerations may include impacts to existing

trees and vegetation, parking and traffic circulation, short-term

construction effects, surface water drainage and soil conditions. 

Implementing agencies will be responsible for ensuring that

such environmental and historic impacts are considered in

accordance with appropriate public input, as may be required 

by the NEPA and NHPA 106 processes.

Relationship to Other Plans and Guidelines

The National Mall Streetscape Manual, the Downtown

Streetscape Guidelines, and the Pennsylvania Avenue

Development Corporation Plan guide design treatment in

public space. Each of these manuals addresses a range of

streetscape elements, including road surface treatment, curb

design, trees, and street furniture. These manuals provide a

basis for future design decisions, and should be amended to

include the streetscape elements from the Urban Design and

Security Plan once the elements have been tested and proven to

be crash worthy, and preliminary design approval is obtained

from the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital

Planning Commission. All regulatory parties or signatories of

the agreements affecting these special plans should be included

to coordinate and amend the respective manuals accordingly.
IMPLEMENTATION

87

Design Development and Construction Strategy

For the efficient and cost effective implementation of the

recommendations in this Plan, the Commission recommends

that one lead agency, the Federal Highway Administration,

administer and coordinate design, permitting, and construction

of street and area projects, including the engineering and testing

of security components. This is crucial to minimize cost and

disruption, and to improve the visual quality and image of the

Nation's Capital. 

The Commission also recommends using the Interagency

National Mall Road Improvement Program and the Kennedy

Center Access Study as implementation models. These

initiatives, which are being led by the Federal Highway

Administration Federal Lands Division, provide a mechanism

for interagency coordination and implementation, and include a

Memorandum of Agreement between appropriate parties to

establish responsibilities and procedures. 

The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan participants

and general responsibilities should include: 

1. A coordinating committee responsible for project oversight

and reporting to the Office of Management and Budget

and Congress.

2. Federal Highway Administration Federal Lands Division

responsible for:

n Overall administration and coordination of Street and Area

Projects.

n Coordinating with area partners to prepare design concepts

and final design (construction documents) for perimeter

security projects. 

n Coordinating and administering streetscape component

engineering and testing.

n Coordinating work with the National Capital Planning

Commission, the District of Columbia, the Commission of

Fine Arts, and the Advisory Council on Historic

Preservation; and obtaining all necessary approvals and

permits. 

n Coordinating compliance with the National Environmental

Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.

n Administering and monitoring construction of projects.

3. Area partners responsible for completing security risk

assessments and assisting the designated lead agency with

design development.

For each project, partnerships should be created through

Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with area partners for 

the purpose of establishing the scope and responsibilities 

of each party relevant to their expertise. The following 

serve as examples of potential partnerships:

Plan Participants

1. Urban Design Security Coordinating Committee

n National Capital Planning Commission

n General Services Administration

n National Park Service

n Architect of the Capitol

n D.C. Office of Planning

n D.C. Department of Public Works 

n D.C. Department of Transportation

n D.C. City Council

n Security Agencies, such as Secret Service and

Federal Protective Service

2. Federal Highway Administration, 

Federal Lands Division

3. Area Partners

n Pennsylvania Avenue (in front of the White House)

n The White House

n United States Secret Service

n National Park Service

n D.C. Department of Transportation
88

n Pennsylvania Avenue (Capitol to the White House) 

n National Park Service

n General Services Administration

n Affected Agencies 

n D.C. Department of Transportation

n National Mall

n Smithsonian Institution 

n National Gallery of Art 

n Department of Agriculture

n National Park Service

n D.C. Department of Transportation

n Downtown

n Affected Agencies

n General Services Administration

n D.C. Department of Transportation

n D.C. Department of Public Works, 

Public Space Division

n Downtown Business Improvement District

n Southwest Federal Center

n Affected Agencies 

n General Services Administration

n Architect of the Capitol

n D.C. Department of Transportation

n Federal Triangle

n Affected Agencies 

n General Services Administration

n National Park Service

n D.C. Department of Transportation

n West End

n Affected Agencies 

n D.C. Department of Transportation

n Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue

n Affected Agencies

n Smithsonian Institution and National Gallery of Art 

n General Services Administration

n National Park Service

n Architect of the Capitol

n D.C. Department of Transportation

Maintenance 

The Nation's Capital deserves to be well maintained, respecting

the people it represents and visitors from abroad who come to

learn about its ideals. Americans should be proud to call it their

own. Any and all streetscape security improvements will require

maintenance in a uniform and consistent manner to preserve

the capital investment, ensure security measures are sustained,

and maintain the quality of the public realm. Therefore,

concurrent with funding appropriation for security

improvements associated with The National Capital Urban Design

and Security Plan, a commitment must be made for both an

ongoing funding source and a maintenance program.

Maintenance of the improvements will require a routine

program of inspection, cleaning, touch-up, repair, and

replacement. Construction or replacement and repair of the

components will not be typical, because of the structural

reinforcement contained within all of the components. This 

will require some supervisory and field staff to have 

specialized training and knowledge. Management of the

maintenance program will also require a readily available 

supply of streetscape fixtures and replacement elements.

Maintenance tasks will include:

n General. Daily clean-up and litter removal, monthly washing

of sidewalks, rodent control, and graffiti control.

n Lighting. Monthly inspection, bulb replacement, fixture

repair, and painting touch-up.

n Furnishings. Routine inspection, repair and touch-up

painting, and replacement.

n Landscape. Weeding, watering, fertilizing, pruning, grass

cutting, plant removal and replacement, irrigation

inspection and maintenance.

n Administrative. Inventory control for replacement of

hardened components and coordination with building

owners on maintenance activities.

Maintenance Responsibility and Funding

There are several options in which to house the maintenance

function. Maintenance responsibility could be centralized into an

existing agency, such as the General Services Administration, the

National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration, the

District of Columbia, or the Downtown Business Improvement

District. Maintenance responsibility could also be dispersed to

several existing agencies based on jurisdiction. Other options 

could be explored, such as creating a new entity to administer

maintenance operations, similar to a business improvement district.

Establishment of both an interim and perpetual funding source

will be required to ensure that the assigned agency can adequately

perform maintenance operations on a regular basis. This will

provide the implementing agency with the funds necessary to enter

into a maintenance contract during the transition period from the

completion of construction to establishment of the designated

maintenance agency. Additionally, an innovative mechanism must

be implemented to establish a dedicated funding source.

The National Capital Planning Commission recommends that

Congress and OMB assign maintenance responsibility to the

appropriate agency or agencies and establish an ongoing funding

commitment to maintain the streetscape security improvements.

Maintenance responsibility and funding could be based on

location of the improvements. For example, improvements in the

building yard could be maintained by individual agencies, while

improvements within the sidewalk or public right-of-way could be

maintained by either one assigned entity, or several entities if

assigned by contextual areas or precincts. The funding for the first

three years of maintenance should be included in the construction

fund appropriation, and a dedicated funding mechanism should

be established by the Office of Management and Budget and

Congress for ongoing maintenance and operations.To further

address the long-term maintenance of the streetscapes and

security solutions, the Commission recommends establishment 

of an interagency committee task force to develop

recommendations for ongoing maintenance.
89

The National Capital Urban Design and Security

Plan is the result of an intensive collaborative effort.

The Commission is grateful for the cooperation of

the federal and District of Columbia governments,

the professional design and planning community, and

members of the public in preparing this Plan.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS/MEMBERS

Congressional

Chairman, Committee on Government Reform, 

U.S. House of Representatives

Chairman, Committee on Governmental Affairs, 

U.S. Senate

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

NCPC Executive Staff 

Patricia E. Gallagher, Executive Director

Marcel C. Acosta, Deputy Executive Director

Connie M. Harshaw, Chief Operating Officer

Lead Project Officers

Elizabeth Miller, Project Officer

George Toop, Urban Designer

Project Team 

Wayne Costa, Legal Counsel 

William Dowd, Director, Office of Plans Review

Jeffrey Hinkle, Community Planner

Ash Jain, General Counsel and Congressional Liaison 

Paul Jutton, Graphic Designer

Eugene Keller, Environmental Officer

Denise Liebowitz, Public Affairs Specialist

Lisa MacSpadden, Director, Office of Public Affairs

Marybeth Murphy, Writer/Editor

Edel Perez, Community Planner

Angela Roach, Program and Management Analyst 

Kenneth Walton, Community Planner (CAD)

Nancy Witherell, Historic Preservation Officer

Roszonna Whitsett, Management Assistant

Project Support

Marcella Brown, Receptionist

Tony Champ, Computer Specialist

Shane Dettman, Community Planner (GIS)

Nicole Green-Catten, Community Planner (CAD)

Dena McClurkin, Public Affairs Specialist

Charles Rieder, Computer Specialist

Jim Russell, Community Planner

Joy Wren, Budget & Finance Specialist

Stacy Wood, Community Planner

Danita Woodley, Management Program Analyst

Deborah Young, Secretariat

District of Columbia

D.C. Council

D.C. Courts 

D.C. Office of Planning

D.C. Office of Transportation

D.C. Metropolitan Police Department

D.C. Department of Public Works

Other

American Pharmaceutical Association

Broadcasting Board of Governors

Committee of 100 on the Federal City

Design Coalition

American Society of Landscape Architects

American Institute of Architects

American Planning Association

Greater Washington Board of Trade

Scenic America

D.C. Guild of Professional Tour Guides 

Downtown Business Improvement District

Federal City Council

Holocaust Memorial and Museum

International Monetary Fund

Newseum

Organization of American States

Penn Quarter Association

The World Bank Group

Federal

U.S. Capitol Police

U.S. Department of State

U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Federal Courts

U.S. Secret Service

Architect of the Capitol

Central Intelligence Agency

Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Reserve Board

Federal Trade Commission

Homeland Security Council

Internal Revenue Service 

National Archives and Records Administration

National Gallery of Art

National Security Advisor

Office of Management and Budget

Small Business Administration

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

Smithsonian Office of Engineering and Operations

Smithsonian Office of Facilities Planning and Resources 

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

Smithsonian Office of Protection Services 

Smithsonian Office of Facilities Planning and Resources

Smithsonian Office of Engineering and Operations

National Security Advisor

Office of Management and Budget

Small Business Administration