Download Our Equitable Development Plan
The goal of the Bridge Park’s Equitable Development Plan is to ensure that the park is a driver of inclusive development—development that provides opportunities for all residents regardless of income and demography. By following a community-driven-vetted process, it is our hope that other cities can look to the Bridge Park as a prime example of how the public and private sectors can invest in and create world-class public space in an equitable manner.
Our Community
The speed of change and economic opportunity that D.C. has experienced over the past 10 years has been tremendous, but inequitable. Decades of disinvestment, coupled with the economic, racial and geographic segregation of Wards 7 and 8, mean that many of the communities east of the river are areas of low homeownership, high poverty and unemployment. With an increasing wealth gap and a high concentration of poverty east of the Anacostia River, the Equitable Development Plan strategies provide a new way to address these challenges.
Our Equitable Development Plan focuses on the one mile area surrounding the Bridge Park.
What is Equitable Development?
intentional focus on eliminating racial inequities and barriers, and making accountable and catalytic investments
Equitable development is a positive development strategy that ensures everyone participates in and benefits from the region’s economic transformation—especially low-income residents, communities of color, immigrants, and others at risk of being left behind. It requires an intentional focus on eliminating racial inequities and barriers, and making accountable and catalytic investments to assure that lower-wealth residents:
• live in healthy, safe, opportunity-rich neighborhoods that reflect their culture (and are not displaced from them);
• connect to economic and ownership opportunities; and
• have voice and influence in the decisions that shape their neighborhoods.
Definition provided by Policy Link, 2016
How to Create an Equitable Development Plan?
Learn More-Do More!
See more videos in our Equity Tool Kit! Explore tools to create your own community driven plan and learn more about our community investments to date.
