Reimagine Anacostia Park

The National Park Service is preparing a Development Concept Plan for sections D & E of Anacostia Park, the area of the park east of the Anacostia river between the 11th Street Bridge and the CSX railroad bridge. The plan will provide a framework for future development and use of the park. Throughout the development of the plan, the NPS would like to hear from park users, the surrounding neighborhood, and the public about how visitors currently use the space and your ideas for the future of this unique landscape in the heart of DC.

 

Cows wade in the Anacostia River with wetland vegetation in the foreground and the Capitol building in the background.

Background

Anacostia Park was envisioned more than a century ago when its development was recommended to the US Congress in 1901, and it took more than three decades to construct. Development of the park required seawalls along the banks of the Anacostia River to convert the existing wetlands into uplands that could host the park amenities that many enjoy today. Managed by the National Park Service (NPS), Sections D and E of Anacostia Park provide hubs for recreational activities, including maintained sports fields for league play; community activity spaces for picnicking, roller skating, educational use, and special events; and preservation of the natural landscape. Anacostia Park is an important neighborhood resource and is a regional destination for bicycling, fishing, special events, waterfront recreation, and more. More information on the history of this portion of the park can be found here.

In 2021, the NPS developed the vision and goals for the project with public input and an initial set of design concepts were shared with stakeholders for feedback. To address concerns that design concepts needed to be rooted in an appreciation for the culture of the surrounding neighborhoods and community desires for the future, the NPS and stakeholder partners delayed progression of design concepts to broaden community engagement efforts. The current and upcoming comment periods have been enhanced to engage larger numbers of stakeholders representing Ward 7 and 8 residents, and to include activities that engage individuals and organizations historically less involved in NPS planning efforts.

The National Park Service has developed preliminary management concepts that offer a range of actions to improve access and circulation from adjacent neighborhoods and trails to the park; support current and future recreational and community use, programming, and special events; address maintenance issues; adapt infrastructure to support current and future recreational uses; and increase resiliency of facilities in areas subject to frequent flooding. We are seeking feedback on the preliminary design concepts for Anacostia Park through December 1, 2023. An additional public meeting and comment period for the project will be held when design concepts are revised.

 

Sections D and E of Anacostia Park are located between the 11th Street Bridge and the area north of Pennsylvania Avenue to the railroad crossing.

 

To get more information and updates on the project: visit the NPS planning website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/anacostiadcp.