D.C.'s oldest buildings and most diverse architecture, mapped

In November 2016, the D.C. Historic Preservation Office announced the launch of HistoryQuest DC, a GIS-based web map that allows the public to get an inside look at the history of approximately 127,000 extant buildings in Washington, D.C. For those who need an even deeper look at the social fabric of the city, the Atlas of ReUrbanism has made its official debut.

The Atlas of ReUrbanism is an expanding tool that looks at the built environment of 50 cities in the U.S. The map allows users to be able to see demographic, economic, and environmental data from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey, and other sources. The Atlas of ReUrbanism was created by Preservation Green Lab, the research division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Also viewable are individual building and block characteristics as well as the “Character Score” established in the Preservation Green Lab’s Older, Smaller, Better report. The “Character Score” assesses the median age of buildings, diversity of building age within a 200-by-200-meter square, and the size of the buildings and parcels.

When viewing the map, the redder the area is, the older and smaller the buildings are. The bluer, the newer and the larger.

In a fact sheet published alongside Atlas of ReUrbanism, it states that compared to areas with “large, new structures,” Washington, D.C. contains nearly 80 percent greater population density, 93 percent more jobs in small businesses, 27 percent more jobs in “new businesses,” and more than half of a billion dollars in private investment through the federal historic tax credit.

The fact sheet also offers information on the inclusiveness of the District as well as the density and diversity of the city.

If interested in giving the map a whirl, check it out over here.

[UPDATE: The creator of the Atlas of ReUrbanism was added.]

• Washington, D.C. Map [Atlas of ReUrbanism]

• Washington, D.C. Fact Sheet [Atlas of ReUrbanism]