Current Projects

Green Spaces for DC is working with government agencies, businesses, community groups and concerned individuals to reclaim our city’s green spaces. Here are just a few of the projects we have undertaken: September 11 Memorial Tree Groves

Green Spaces for DC is leading a coalition of government and non-profit organizations to plan and create a series of nine memorial tree groves commemorating the events of September 11, 2001. The centerpiece of this project will be a ~3 acre grove on Kingman Island in the Anacostia River as part of a major habitat restoration of Kingman and Heritage Islands. A series of eight smaller groves will be scattered throughout the city, with one in each ward. All will include a mixture of canopy and under-story trees, shrubbery and ground cover. Winding walkways will carry visitors into the groves; benches will allow for rest and contemplation.

Many of the neighborhood parks in Washington, DC have been adopted by concerned neighborhood groups who have committed themselves to reclaiming, improving and caring for these vital community resources. Green Spaces for DC is committed to providing these Friends-of-Parks groups with the knowledge and information they need to succeed. By providing venues for information-sharing and collaboration, as well as training and access to experts in the field, Green Spaces for DC is helping DC’s neighborhood parks one community at a time. 16th Street Gateway Demonstration Project

Green Spaces for DC has forged a three-way partnership with the DC Department of Transportation (D-DOT) and the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to create a demonstration planting as part of a major reconstruction of upper 16th Street, NW. When completed, travelers into the city through one of its major entry points will be greeted by lush plantings in the circle at Eastern Avenue and North Portal Drive and continuing for one mile down Sixteenth Street in the median. Douglas Hoerr, an award-winning Chicago-based landscape architect who has helped to make that city a recognized model of urban greening, has accepted Green Space’s invitation to design the Sixteenth Street gateway. By fostering collaboration between DPR and DDOT, Green Space’s goal is to establish a model for future road and gateway reconstruction projects that are environmentally responsible, easily maintained, as well as safe and beautiful. Landscaping Standards for DPR Parks

Green Spaces has also helped to develop comprehensive landscaping standards to bring consistency and quality to the city’s green spaces. These standards include guidelines that govern choice of paving materials, fencing, furnishings, lighting, plant materials, erosion control, and water conservation. These standards will be used by all landscape designers contracted for DPR parks, as well as the more the 40 Friends-of-Parks groups that partner with Green Spaces and the DPR to improve our neighborhood parks. DPR’s First Landscape Architect

Green Spaces worked with the DPR to create and fund the department’s first-ever landscape architect. This central role will help the department as it expands its focus beyond recreation to include restoring and enhancing the city’s parklands. Technical Assistance

Many of the neighborhood parks in Washington, DC have been adopted by concerned neighborhood groups who have committed themselves to reclaiming, improving and caring for these vital community resources. Green Spaces for DC is committed to providing these Friends-of-Parks groups with the knowledge and information they need to succeed. By providing venues for information-sharing and collaboration, as well as training and access to experts in the field, Green Spaces for DC is helping DC’s neighborhood parks one community at a time.