Is it Time to Revise D.C.’s Height Act?

The height limit that has long dominated the development of Washington, D.C.’s skyline is coming into question as District leaders seek to bring more housing units and residents to the central core as part of Mayor Bowser’s Comeback Plan. “A key goal of this plan is to ‘add 15,000 residents to the Downtown population by adding seven million square feet of residential units,’” writes Luke Garrett for WTOP.

The Height of Buildings Act, passed in 1910, limits building heights to 90 feet on residential streets and 130 feet on commercial corridors. Now, some District Council members are calling for changes to the century-old act as part of efforts to revitalize the city and adapt to changing housing and office space needs. “The District needs to address its affordable housing crisis through more density, so the Height Act should be on the table for negotiation as a way to increase density and housing units,” said Council member Zachary Parker.

Opponents of changing the Height Act say the District’s flat skyline is a “unique and defining characteristic.” Others call proposed changes to the Height Act a red herring, with Council member Brianne Nadeau saying that “We could double the amount of housing in the city right now if we updated the zoning code, even with the Height Act in place.”