"We've Seen this Coming": Resident Activists Shaping Neighborhood Redevelopment in Washington, D.C.

Abstract

The North Capitol area of Washington, D.C, is entering a time of reassembly. Federal planners and private developers have answered the question, "Space for what?" with futuristic descriptions of a tree‐lined gateway into the monumental core, a vision fast becoming reality. Residents are offering competing answers to the question, "Space for whom?" Activists in Northwest One would prefer that their area remain as housing for current residents, but they recognize the fruitlessness of using urban renewal‐style protesting to halt current development efforts. Their efforts toward homeownership and job readiness have allowed some area residents to gain ownership of public housing, and others to purchase homes in surrounding neighborhoods. As the North Capitol area becomes more important in federal urban plans, as a new convention center and other private development continue, and as urban renewal controls expire, its space will be increasingly squeezed for growth. Two local community projects, Sursum Corda and the Perry School, demonstrate activists' intent to stay in the area and to use social services to prepare residents for economic opportunities in a changing climate. Activists see change coming and are preparing their neighbors and their buildings to harness development for their good.