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MALL REPORTSRenewing American Democracy On The 3rd Century Mall
But these federal plans are neither comprehensive nor visionary. The Planning Commission’s “Monumental Core Framework Plan” proposes improvements to federal lands surrounding the Mall, which assumes the Mall is “complete” and therefore unchanging. The Park Service’s “National Mall Plan” is, in reality, a grounds keeping and maintenance plan applying only to parts of the Mall under Park Service jurisdiction. The Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art, the White House, and Capitol grounds – none of these institutions located on the National Mall factor into these new plans. Conspicuously missing in the federal offerings to date is an updated, long-range vision – in the tradition of the historic L’Enfant Plan of 1791 or the McMillan Plan of 1901-1902 – that can guide the continuing evolution of this symbol of democracy cherished by the American people. Furthermore, no one is addressing the long-standing, intractable problem of fragmented planning and management by six federal agencies, and oversight in 14 committees in Congress – a mind- boggling bureaucratic jumble that has resulted in uncoordinated, piecemeal development over the last three decades. None of the federal plans propose a way to provide the District government and the general public a meaningful voice in Mall planning. Instead, these plans embrace the status quo. Our Coalition is alarmed that, absent a new visionary direction encompassing the entire Mall, federal plans are being completed and agencies are asking of Congress funding for a host of individual, uncoordinated Mall projects. In order to ensure cost-effective decisions and sound stewardship for the long term, the visionary plan must come first. The National Coalition to Save Our Mall has spoken out repeatedly and strongly since 2004 about the need for a new, compelling vision to animate renewal of the National Mall for the 21st century – in what we call the 3rd Century Mall. In “Rethinking the National Mall” (December 2008), we reiterated our long-standing call for an independent Presidential or Congressional Commission of prominent Americans to lead the country in creating this new vision. In this report, we outline a public vision for the 3rd Century Mall – the legacy we have inherited, the needs today that invite attention, and a bright new century that awaits a spirited response.
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Copyright © 2008 National Coalition to Save Our Mall Inc. All Rights Reserved |
The recent release of Mall-related plans by the National Park Service, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts prompts the National Coalition to Save Our Mall to speak out while there is time to avoid costly development mistakes. These federal agencies claim that together their plans represent the new comprehensive vision for the National Mall. 