The government of the District of Columbia has neither the land nor the dollars to completely meet the recreational needs of its residents. Through collaboration and partnerships, community resources can be leveraged to dramatically improve access to open space and recreational services. Agreements with the federal government, public and private schools, local colleges and universities, and the District's major employers are an important part of the city's efforts to broaden recreational choices for all residents. 816.1
Maximizing our assets also means redefining "open space" to include more than just parkland. Broadly defined, open space includes cemeteries, golf courses, reservoirs, institutions, parkways, military bases, and even private lawns and backyards. In this context, the value of open space may be its contribution to the city's form rather than its use for recreation. Preserving a balance between development and open space is important in all District neighborhoods and essential to the health of the community. Similarly, provisions for high-quality open space in new development-including amenities such as balconies, courtyards, and landscaping-is important to the psychological well-being of future residents and the aesthetic qualities of the city. 816.2
The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9 a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A816