The renderings are gorgeous for Washington, D.C.'s first elevated park on 11th Street Bridge, but the question remains on if the bridge park will gentrify the Anacostia neighborhood. Plans for the bridge involve creating spaces for performances, plazas, kayak and canoe launches, and urban agricultural plots. The mixed-use development was described as having the goal of "contribut[ing] to the civic fabric of Washington, D.C.," but what does that even mean? Even the director of the 11th Street Bridge Park organization, Scott Kratz, admits the possibility of gentrification in the area, saying, "If we end up building a bridge park and people who were part of the process can no longer afford to live here, we have failed." For now, Kratz is pushing for city policies to make sure that housing prices don't skyrocket with the advent of D.C.'s next tourist attraction.
· Building a Park to Span a Divide in Washington [The New York Times]
· OMA + OLIN Design Chosen for First Elevated Park in D.C. [Curbed DC]
Loading comments...