The Genius Design of Washington D.C.

Washington DC is widely recognized as one of the best designed capital cities in the world from its Grand monuments to its wide Avenues the city's design is both impressive and functional but what makes the design of Washington DC so unique and how has an influenced urban planning across the globe the unique design of Washington DC can best be visualized when taking a look from above the city's grid layout allows for a highly efficient use of space and allows for a direct connection to all parts of the capital these diagonal Avenues meanwhile serve a dual purpose they not only create a sense of design and elegance but also represent the importance of unity in the country each Avenue is named after a state emphasizing the idea that Washington DC is a place where all states come together to govern as one nation this design is the result of French architect and urban designer Pierre lanfont lenfant was a Visionary architect who had a unique understanding of urban planning and Design he recognized the importance of creating a city that not only served as the seat of government but also reflected the values and aspirations of the American people lenfant's plan for Washington DC would be for a city that was both functional and appealing with wide Avenues public spaces and Grand buildings his plan included several key features such as the National Mall the Capitol building and the White House which all have become iconic symbols of the United States will this plan will be modified over the years a final design was agreed upon in 1792. this would go on to create the Washington DC we see today the National Mall is a prime example of l'enfant's vision of a public space stretching from the Capitol building to the Lincoln Memorial it serves as a Gathering Place for visitors and tourists the mall is also home to many of the city's most significant Memorials of American history the centerpiece of the National Mall is the Washington Monument which is 550 feet high it was completed in 1884 and is dedicated to the first president of the United States George Washington visitors of the Capitol can take an elevator to the top of the monument for stunning views of the city the Lincoln Memorial is another iconic Landmark located on the National Mall it was built to honor the 16th president of the United States Abraham Lincoln and was completed in 1922 the statue of Lincoln inside the memorial stands 19 feet tall and is surrounded by inscriptions of his famous speeches the National Mall is also home to the Smithsonian institution with 11 museums and galleries that showcase the nation's history and achievements as well as the National Mall many more public spaces were developed such as presidents Park also known as the White House lawn this space is located just north of the White House and features several monuments dedicated to U.S presidents the parks fans more than seven acres in size and was created with an intent to provide an open space view of the White House this location has become a popular visiting destination in Washington DC and has held many large events over the past few years the numerous public spaces of Washington DC relate back to lenphant's original goal which was to create a city that would serve a dual purpose operating as a House of government and providing ample space for tourists and visitors the public spaces of Washington DC are not only a symbol of American history but have become an inspiration for cities around the world Brazil's capital of Brasilia was designed and built in the late 1950s with a similar layout to Washington DC from above the Monumental access is clearly visible which was meant to replicate the National Mall developers had hoped to recreate the style of America's capital the project was met with widespread backlash one of the main problems was the city's Reliance on highways instead of walkable streets this resulted in widespread disagreement over its construction but Brazil is not the only country to attempt to recreate Washington DC another Capital inspired by this design is New Delhi the capital of India this city was designed by British architect Edwin lutons who was heavily influenced by the design of Washington DC the white Avenues and the use of a center access point were Inspirations to his design for India's capital the design of New Delhi is centered upon the central Vista which holds various government Ministries and monuments similar to the National Mall at one end of the Vista is a monument which is the India Gate the central Vista is currently undergoing a 1.6 billion dollar Redevelopment project which aims to revamp this entire area the Redevelopment includes several new government offices as well as more public spaces for tourists and visitors when completed eight new structures will be added to the central Vista with many more being repurposed or demolished altogether like Washington DC the Indian government has taken inspiration from the National Mall to redevelop this area by reconstructing this region the government hopes they can create a district that can better cater to the country's evolving needs this project is expected to be fully completed by 2026. the design of Washington DC has resulted in a broader effect on urban planning and design all across the world it has inspired the way many cities were designed and operate today and has played a significant role in the history of urban planning but the capital's design is certainly not without its flaws with such a car-centric layout many have disagreed with the urban planning behind Washington DC the capital's wide Avenues and diagonal streets were designed with the intent of accommodating car traffic which was seen as a necessity in the 20th century who all the boulevards are a key part of this city the design has had a number of negative consequences with such high car density air pollution and traffic congestion have become major problems well efforts have been made in recent years to promote public transportation and alternative methods of traveling around the city the legacy of the car Centric design remains nevertheless the city's various open parks and public spaces have helped limit the effects of its car Centric design the combination of these factors have allowed Washington DC to function as both a house of government and a Gathering Place For Tourists and visitors Pierre lanfont's vision for Washington DC was to create a city that would serve as both the seat of government and a large public space that reflects the values of the American people today lenfant's Vision has proven to be successful with the city receiving nearly 25 million visitors each year but for now the design of Washington DC will live on and continue to inspire urban planning across the globe thank you for watching and consider subscribing if you enjoyed the video

Channel: Arkive

Views: 18,580

Keywords: Washington dc, urban planning, US Capital, Infrastructure

Id: 6oScoZUVtjM

Length: 8min 0sec (480 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 01 2023