Evening star., 1955-01-14
Text Of ConsuItonts' Report Detailing II Sections
Requiring SIum Clearance or Renewal Projects

tanning $3.50 dwelling units Of
which n percent are substand-
ard. With the development Of
the 456 new units Of low-rent
public housing now authorized
for the Southwest and with the
resolution Of planning problems
with respect to the Southwest
Mall. the complete recasting of
Southwest Washington will be
projected on a plan commen-
surate with its prime location
between the Capitol and Mall
and the Potomac River.
Northwest Renewal Area. Ac-
ton has already been taken by
the Board Of Commissioners. the
National Capital Planning Com
mission. and the Redevelopment
Land Agency TO initiate the
District of Columbia's first
hroadscale urban renewal PLAN
ming In this 925-acre area, within
boundaries roughly correspond
ing with the End police pre-
cinct. From the standpoint of
the incidence of slum housing,
congestion and ovefcrowding and
crime and delinquency, this large
section of the old city represents
a highly appropriate and dra-
matte launching point for the
urban renewal program. 1t will
also present complex planning
problems. According to the 1850
housing census approximately 36
per cent Of the dwelling units in
this area were dilapidated or
without private bath or running
water and these units repre-
sented about one-fifth of the
total Of such units within the
District Of Columbia. The area
has a large proportion of the
Districts tenement houses. 1t
also contains a large proportion
of salvable residential buildings.
Only II per cent Of the. l5.70O
dwelling units in the area were
owner occupied in 1850. COM
munity facilities are badly de-
ficient and there are many con-
| fiicting land uses. Nevertheless,
the area offers challenging OPP
portunities for lasting renewal
on the basis Of intensive neigh
borhood planning.
The OLD Northeast and South
east. Early planning attention
should be given to the undertake
ing Of urban renewal in the sec
tions Of the city lying northeast
and southeast of the Capitol.
Conditions In these two sections.
while showing substantial in
cidence Of blight. differ from
those in the Southwest and CEN
tral Northwest in that the blight
| is much more scattered. There
has also been considerable ac-
| tivity in voluntary rehabilitation
Of substandard structures on q
high quality basis in the blocks
Immediately adjacent to the
Capitol grounds. There is also
q much higher percentage Of
home ownership than in the
Southwest or central Northwest
areas.
The substantial degree Of
blight remaining in these areas.
however. makes it imperative
that urban renewal, studies be
undertaken so as to develop plans
which win eliminate the pockets
Of blight as well as the. blight
ing influences and lead to the
establishment Of well-planned
neiehborhoods Of a standard
CONSTANT with the potential
advantages Of these locations.
Such studies In all probability
viii demonstrate that these areas
can be renewed through primary
reliance upon code enforcement
and rehabilitation accompanied
by necessary steps to improve
community facilities and to elm
mate adverse land uses.
As emphasized elsewhere in
this report, there are two basic
! planning questions which must