District of Columbia

Image: BeyondDC

The District of Columbia has emerged as one of the most walkable and bikable cities in the country. It is experiencing both positive changes and challenges that require us to work harder. DC is vibrant, diverse and growing after decades of decline. The Coalition for Smarter Growth has won many policy changes that built more sustainable transportation choices, housing options, and deeper, longer commitments to housing affordability. CSG continues to address crucial challenges to ensure long-time residents, Black and Brown residents, and people of all incomes and backgrounds can live in the neighborhood of their choice, and access safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation options to work, school, services and recreation. 

Our Work in D.C.


Comprehensive Plan

The District of Columbia’s Comprehensive Plan guides the physical development of the city and manages growth in the District. On May 18, 2021, the DC Council voted to adopt the Comprehensive Plan amendments that furthers our vision for an inclusive, walkable, and transit-oriented city. Learn more >>>

DC Skyline - Photo credit: Ted Eytan, Flickr
Image: Ted Eytan, Flickr

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

As housing demand continues to outpace supply in the District, creative solutions are needed to provide additional housing and reduce rental costs. An ADU, a secondary living unit in a house or backyard, is one such solution. Learn more >>>

Image: Erin Kelleher

Flexible Commuter Benefits

In 2020, the DC Council unanimously voted to support flexible commuter benefits! The law, promoted by CSG, our supporters and allies, will give workers the option to walk, bike and take transit to work using the value of an employer-subsidized parking space. Learn more >>>

Image: Daniel Kelly, Flickr

16th Street Bus Lanes

From petition drives to public testimony to policy expertise, CSG and other community members have pushed to implement a dedicated rush hour bus lane for the last six years – and won! These bus lanes are currently under construction. Since we won the 16th Street campaign, DC has launched a Bus Priority Program to accelerate implementation of bus lanes and other improvements to make buses faster and more reliable. Learn more >>>

S4 buses
Image: C. Cort

Past Campaigns


  • Inclusionary Zoning: There’s no silver bullet for DC’s affordable housing crunch, but inclusionary zoning is one important policy tool we’re working on to help with the issue. We’re working hard to make changes to the program so it can better serve low-income households. Learn more >>>
  • Public Land for Public Good: D.C.’s extensive publicly owned lands are a key opportunity for the city to provide affordable housing to very low-income residents. Through research, education and advocacy, we won a major commitment to affordable housing in all public land dispositions. The law requires that public land dispositions set aside 20-30% of new homes affordable at deeply affordable levels for rentals. Backing this legislative effort was our report Public Land for Public Good provides a look at the city’s track record for producing affordable housing on public land. Learn more >>>
  • Bus report card: We partnered with MetroHero to release the first-ever performance-based DC Bus Report Card. Developed from real-time data collected in May 2019 by MetroHero, the report shows DC’s major bus routes suffer from poor reliability and sluggish speeds, factors that are likely major contributors to the system’s declining ridership. Learn more >>>
  • Long-term Affordability: Expiring income restrictions that make homes affordable to low income residents has been an ongoing emergency, as the need for affordable housing has grown, not waned, over time. Through CSG’s outreach and advocacy, most of DC’s affordable housing subsidies (e.g. Housing Production Trust Fund) and requirements (Inclusionary Zoning, public land dispositions) now ensure affordability does not expire, but is secure in perpetuity, or for the life of the development. Our report on long-term housing affordability for the District of Columbia makes the case for why the District should adopt long term affordability requirements. Learn more >>>

Latest Happenings


DC - A Working Vision for Downtown Ward 7

DC – A Working Vision for Downtown Ward 7

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A plan to revitalize downtown Ward 7, based on a series of community workshops in 2005.

DC – Rhode Island Avenue Parking

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WRN has worked extensively with community members around the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station. We have conducted workshops, walking audits and developed a set of recommendations to make the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station more accessible to the community that it serves. We have also supported the detailed analysis conducted by D.C. Office of Planning which demonstrated that many more Metro riders could be served by improving walk, bicycle and bus access to the Metrorail station at the same cost of replacing the 387 commuter parking spaces.
DC - Affordable Housing Isn't Cheap: The Status of and Need for Dedicated Local Revenue for Affordable Housing Production and Preservation

DC – Affordable Housing Isn’t Cheap: The Status of and Need for Dedicated Local Revenue for Affordable Housing Production and Preservation

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"Affordable Housing Isn’t Cheap" is a report on the status of dedicated local revenue sources for affordable housing production and preservation in the Washington, D.C. region. It provides guidance to area jurisdictions that have yet to implement a dedicated local revenue source. This report describes dedicated revenue sources that already exist and forecasts what type and size of dedicated revenue sources make sense for each jurisdiction. Nearly all new affordable housing for lower income households across the country is created through partnerships between government funding agencies and private for- and non-profit developers. The public funding role is crucial because constructing housing is almost always not financially feasible at the rents or mortgage payments that lower income households can afford to pay, especially in areas with high housing costs like the Washington, D.C., region. Legal restrictions that accompany this public investment ensure that this housing will remain affordable to lower income families for varying amounts of time.

DC – Campaign for Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning Fact Sheet

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Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) policies require new and/or rehabilitated residential developments to include housing units affordable to low and moderate-income residents. In exchange, developers may receive non-monetary compensation—in the form of density bonuses—that reduce construction costs.

DC: USA Columbia Heights Parking & Access Recommendations

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Given that the DC USA retail center will have substantially less retail sales space than could be supported by market demand, the conventional customer access strategy of driving and parking should be fully reconsidered. Several other facts point to the need to implement an urban strategy that better builds on the assets of the site location, and avoids its constraints.