Permanent Special Committee on
Public Life & Neighborhood Planning
#ColumbiaHeightsDC is:
Vibrant. Diverse. Inclusive. Accessible. Welcoming. Connected. Clean. Safe. Sustainable. Resilient. A Public Realm of Possibilities.
The Permanent Special Committee on Public Life and Neighborhood Planning is dedicated to cultivating a forward-thinking vision of Columbia Heights as the “heart of the District” and the go-to neighborhood of DC. By championing equitable community development and long-range planning, enhanced public realm maintenance, innovative public space management, and long-term sustainable urban infrastructure, we strive to create a neighborhood where every voice is heard, every resident is valued, and every space reflects the unique character of our community.
As the Chair of the Special Committee on Public Life (or SCPL), Anthony will continue to work to improve neighborhood outcomes by focusing on how residents feel they can live, thrive, and raise a family in Columbia Heights, how visitors see themselves stopping through the neighborhood to shop, eat, or visit a friend, and how small and local businesses can grow and attract folks from all over the District and region to showcase what Columbia Heights has to offer.
Priorities
Our focus is comprehensively improving how people - residents and visitors - experience public space throughout Columbia Heights. As a vibrant, dense, ever-bustling neighborhood with many diverse communities, everyone will want to experience what the public realm offers in many different ways. We can enable this by creating and sustaining an environment with the proper social infrastructure and planning to deliver a world-class urban public square for all.
As the published 2024 Columbia Heights-Mount Pleasant Public Life Study is released, SCPL will continually identify and evaluate funding for capital improvement opportunities to ensure the study’s recommendations can be fully implemented over time - ideally within five years or sooner.
2024 Public Hearing on Columbia Heights Civic Plaza
On Thursday, September 5, 2024, Commissioner Thomas-Davis, Chair of the Special Committee on Public Life, convened a public hearing, in person and virtually, to hear testimony from community members, community stakeholders, and District government officials regarding the challenges and opportunities of the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza, including problems with the management of this vital public space and proposed solutions to address them.
Following the hearing, the Commission unanimously voted to adopt the official Hearing Record and report of the Special Committee, approving several key policy recommendations urging District agencies, including the Office of Planning, Department of General Services, Department of Parks and Recreation, and Department of Public Works. Please see pages 51-52 of the report for a complete list of proposed recommendations.
“"The Columbia Heights Civic Plaza is more than just a shared space—it’s a symbol of our neighborhood’s resilience and diversity, a place where history and possibility converge. Its promise lies in its potential to become not only a gathering place but also a driver of economic vitality, cultural expression, and community connection. A larger transformation of the public realm—one that prioritizes continual investment, safety, cleanliness, and inclusivity—can unlock opportunities that ripple across Columbia Heights, strengthening small businesses, fostering civic pride, and improving outcomes for all who call this neighborhood home. The future of the Civic Plaza isn’t just about enhancing physical infrastructure; it’s about creating a public space that reflects the best of us and invests in the potential of every resident."
— Commissioner Anthony Thomas-Davis