The Riverfront Wedge: Industrial Land Use on the Anacostia waterfront

Abstract

The riverfront wedge (RFW) neighborhood struggles to remake itself because its identity is locked between its old production, distribution, and repair (PDR) zones and real-estate developers' expectations. RFW is isolated by freeways on two sides and the Anacostia River on the third. Therefore, the study will reimagine RFW by capitalizing on its unique location and proximity to the water, turning the PDR zoning infrastructure from a liability into an asset, and turning the vacant, disconnected property into a thriving neighborhood with connections to the 11th Street Bridge to the east and Capitol Hill to the north. The property's inaccessibility prevents it from being redeveloped like Navy Yard. Challenges addressed in this thesis:• Waterfront access • Affordable housing • Economic development for social justice, climate change and uplifting the community by providing an industrial institution where people can work, live, and gather in the same place