About the Resilient Small Parks and Open Spaces Study

In DC there are over 1,100 District-owned small parks and open spaces which amount to a total of 148 acres. This study is the pilot project of a larger initiative to improve DC’s small parks and open spaces by incorporating resilient design features. During this initial phase, two clusters of small parks - one along Minnesota Ave in Fairlawn/Anacostia and the other along Bladensburg Road in Langdon - were selected for analysis and concept-level design development.

This study will be conducted between August 2023 and July 2024 through a combined effort between the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Office of Planning (OP) and will be informed by robust community engagement and interagency collaboration.

Small Park Selection Process  

The project team used a Resilience Assessment Tool developed by OP and DPR as the basis for the small park cluster selections. The team initially selected five clusters to bring for discussion at an Interagency Meeting that occurred in October 2023. The park clusters were selected based on a mixture of the following criteria:

  • Exposure to extreme heat and/or flooding
  • Presence of vulnerable populations
  • Potential to mitigate impacts of climate change
  • Presence of mature trees
  • Diversity of park types
  • Walkability within ¼ mile

While no one park cluster met all the above criteria, two of the clusters - Bladensburg Road and Minnesota Ave - emerged as the best candidates for the initial phase of the Small Parks and Open Space Resilience Assessment and Design. Beyond the initial phase, this framework will be used by DPR and OP for the continued roll-out of the Small Parks Resilience project and shared with other DC agencies for their use. 

Study Areas

Bladensburg Road Study Area

The Bladensburg Road small parks study area consists of four small park parcels that are located along Bladensburg Road NE between South Dakota Avenue NE to the north and Douglas Street NE to the south.

 

Minnesota Ave Study Area

The Minnesota Avenue small parks study area consists of three small park parcels that are located along Minnesota Ave between Naylor Road to the north and T Street NE to the south.   

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Study Kickoff - August 2023

The study began in mid-August.

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Review of Resiliency Tool - Fall 2023

The team reviewed DPR’s Resiliency Tool and used it to narrow down the small park cluster options.

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Interagency Workshop & Cluster Selection - October 18, 2023

The team convened an Interagency Workshop, which included representatives from the following agencies to finalize pilot small park cluster selection:

  • DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)
  • DC Office of Planning (OP)
  • District Department of Transportation (DDOT)
  • District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE)
  • Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) 
  • DC Water
  • National Park Service (NPS)

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Design Typologies - Fall 2023

The project team developed diagrammatic, scalable design typology sections that are representative of typical DC small parks and open spaces, such as traffic triangle parks, open spaces in the right-of-way, urban plazas, and pocket parks, which will be shared across agencies to provide best practice design guidelines for future projects.

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Existing Conditions - Winter 2024

The project team will review existing studies, plans, and data to document and explore existing conditions at the chosen park clusters to identify opportunities and constraints.

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First Community Meeting - February 2024

The Community Kickoff Meeting was held virtually on February 13, 2024. An overview of the project was provided and breakout discussions were held on each of the park clusters. See the "Community Kickoff Meeting" tab for the meeting presentation and video recordings. 

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Community Survey & Walking Tours – Winter/Spring 2024

A public survey and walking tours are being conducted to gather feedback on how the parks are currently being used and what improvements the community would like to see in the future.

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Concept Design Development – Winter - Summer 2024

Building off the existing conditions analysis and the feedback received from the community during the survey, walking tours, and first set of community meetings, the team will develop draft concept designs for the small park clusters that will include resiliency design strategies in addition to park improvements such as recreation and gathering spaces, improved road safety, habitat creation, bicycle amenities, and more.

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Second Community Meeting – Spring/Summer 2024

The second set of community meetings is planned to occur in the spring/summer of 2024 and will provide an opportunity for the team to show the in-progress concept designs to the communities for feedback to be incorporated into the final concept designs.

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Final Concept Designs and Report – Summer 2024

As a final project deliverable, the team will produce the DC Small Parks and Open Spaces Resilience Plan, which will encompass the final concept designs for the small park clusters and will provide a roadmap for the use of the resilience tool, the design typologies, and design implementation.