Uwe Brandes offered reflections at the centennial celebration of the National Capital Planning Commission.  Following his remarks, a panel discussion explored the significance of this historic milestone, including Julia Koster, Prof. Zachary Schrag, and Mencer Donahue “Don” Edwards.  The event coincided with the opening of a new exhibition exploring NCPC’s history in the public reading room of Mies van der Rohe’s Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library.

Brandes explored the impact that the NCPC has had on the evolution of urban planning practice through its work to coordinate, influence, and shape the buildings and landscapes of the nation’s capital. “NCPC’s work embodies extraordinary responsibility to advance the common good from the perspective of federal interest. The work of NCPC has repeatedly set national standards of urban planning and urban design practice — at times seeking to do so intentionally — and has indirectly influenced capital cities across the country and around the world,” reflected Brandes.

Brandes continued, “We stand at a critical moment in time, where we can readily assess that NCPC’s impact has not always produced fair or catalytic urban outcomes.”  The dialogue included critical reflections on the enduring legacy of urban renewal in Washington, D.C., highway planning, and the impacts of recent efforts to weave federal security measures throughout the fabric of the city.

Brandes underscored the importance of planning and designing public buildings and urban spaces in Washington, D.C., which introduces an “appropriate monumentality” worthy of our nation’s project in democracy, and which supports and encourages place-based interaction between people in meaningful ways. This duality is a challenging design objective and has been proven difficult to achieve. Delivering monumentality in the built environment is remarkably easy; concurrently, delivering life-sustaining urban places that support thriving and inclusive human interaction remains the exception, not the rule.