Photo courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission
One hundred years ago, Congress enacted the Heights of Buildings Act for Washington, DC, which is why we enjoy the wide vistas that make our monumental buildings stand out so beautifully. Last night, an expert on skyscrapers came to praise that decision.
“It is hard for me to believe that for 100 years, you’ve had a very clear and distinct height policy,” said Larry Beasley at a packed auditorium at the Navy Memorial.
Larry Beasley is the former planning director for Vancouver who has received Canada's highest lifetime achievement honor for his work with urban planning. Photo by David Hathcox, courtesy National Capital Planning Commission
Beasley spoke in a lecture series hosted by the National Capital Planning Commission, which has historically fought attempts by developers seeking taller buildings in the district.
He had high praise for skyscrapers as a concept, but where DC is concerned, he urged the NCPC to hold its ground against any attempts to alter the act. It’s not hard to see why.
“Where history has given you an elegant space, you don’t just play with it,” he said. “Does anyone really want a tall building popping up just anywhere?”
The Old Post Office was grandfathered in when the act was passed. It remains the tallest federal building in the city.
He went on to compare our city to the famously low buildings of Paris, and contrasted it with the haphazard skyscrapers that mar the skyline of Buenos Aires. “Don’t think in some way that you’re going to open up some mysterious opportunity for better architecture” with taller buildings, he said.
Also, noting that he’s the vice president of a development company, he emphasized that elevating buildings here and there in DC really wouldn’t create huge economic gains.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception was exempted from the act when it was built in the '50s.
“Be very careful as you gamble with the 100-year-old legacy of the Height Act. Those limits are the things that have made the city so fulfilling,” he said.
“The city is just so comfortable — so livable and so humane,” he said. In response to a question from the audience about outlying areas such as Rosslyn, though, he had a different opinion.
“These are terribly designed spaces,” Beasley said, explaining that the development had everything to do with real estate opportunities and nothing to do with smart urban planning. “They don’t fit inot any kind of public realm that I would want to be in.”
Good thing no one asked him about Tysons Corner.
As for the buildings in DC, I’m an enthusiastic member of the choir to whom he preached. Thanks, Mr. Beasley, for reminding us how beautiful and livable our city is.
For a trasncript of Beasley’s online chat at the Greater Greater Washington blog, go here.
Jennifer Sergent. Native Washingtonian. Former editor at Washington Spaces magazine and HGTV. Currently searching for – and writing about – DC’s design voices. Write to me @
I live close to Tyson’s Corner…his comments are what I think about everyday. No urban planning, ugly surroundings, the WORST traffic in the country. All the edge cities and suburban areas close to DC have suffered from BAD local politics and screams out what’s wrong. Set rules like in DC–it works!! People might whine about it today, but in 50-100 years they will praise it!!!
Great post Jennifer!!
The thing about the height restriction is that it keeps DC unique amongst American cities. You know where you are. So often people criticize this fact, but do we really want our city to turn into Indianapolis or any other nameless looking city? If you want tall buildings – go to nearby Rosslyn!