Designing for Integration

Repairing and Connecting: The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Memorial, the Potomac River, Rock Creek Park, and the National Mall, Washington, DC 

In partnership with the National Capital Planning Commission, Perkins Eastman is leading a transformative project that prioritizes green space, connectivity, and sustainable design by reimagining the infrastructure surrounding the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. This ambitious plan aims to reintegrate the visually and physically isolated Kennedy Center into the city’s urban fabric by capping the Interstate 66 interchange and routing the new traffic pattern underground, concealing the congested road network with landscaped parks, pedestrian pathways, and bike trails.

With new green spaces connecting the Kennedy Center to the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, and Rock Creek Park, the project creates a continuous corridor for people and wildlife. This expanded urban greenway will improve air quality, promote biodiversity, and strengthen the city’s ecological resilience.

From a transportation standpoint, the reconfiguration of highways and improved pedestrian and bicycle access will reduce car dependency. Visitors and residents will gain safe, direct walking and cycling routes between the Kennedy Center, Foggy Bottom, and surrounding cultural landmarks. Reduced vehicular reliance also supports cleaner air and lowers carbon emissions.

In addition to its ecological and mobility benefits, the expanded parkland will enhance flood resilience along the Potomac River. More than 30 acres of permeable surfaces, including trees, rain gardens, and native ground cover, will both absorb and slow stormwater runoff, mitigating flood risks and improving water quality.

By shifting away from an auto-centric mindset and changing the focus toward urban-scale connections and places that are both practical and meaningful, the Kennedy Center plan embodies our philosophy that green urbanism is inherently more sustainable, humane, and healthier for people and the planet.