Exhibit: "Planning Washington: Capital and Community"

Exquisite Display Celebrates 100 Years of the NCPC in DC

This expansive exhibit displays maps, images, and stories about the people, events, and issues that shaped Washington, DC and the surrounding region.

Washington, DC is an extraordinary city. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) has helped make it so.

NCPC has served as the federal government’s planning agency for 100 years. It was also the city’s local planning agency until 1974. The agency has aspired to preserve and enhance the design of our nation’s capital to reflect democratic ideals of openness and participation while also meeting the needs of people who live, work, and visit here.

Through a range of events and resources, NCPC’s 2024 Centennial presents an opportunity to celebrate the history of planning in Washington and the region, acknowledge unfairness in past planning practices, and consider lessons learned for planning the capital’s future.

About the Exhibit

All through the month of September, the touring exhibit "Planning Washington: Capital and Community" will be presented at the West End Neighborhood Library. It is a historical exhibition commemorating the centennial of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in 2024.  Visit the front entrance of the library, just inside the vestibule to view this engaging and informative presentation.

NCPC’s 100-year anniversary offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the agency’s history, examine the evolution of planning in Washington, DC and the region, acknowledge inequities created by past planning practices, and consider lessons learned to inform planning today and into the future.

Through this exhibit and other initiatives, NCPC will share stories about people, events, and issues that have shaped this region, as well as engage diverse audiences on the role of planning in the context of equity, power, and decision-making.

Upcoming events