Designing the Nation's Capital: The 1901 Plan for Washington, DC

Designing the Nation's Capital: The 1901 Plan for Washington, DC
Author: Sue A. Kohler
Publisher: Us Commission of Fine Arts
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2006
Genre: Architecture
ISBN:

Seven essays on various aspects of the Park Commission Plan (popularly known as the McMillan Plan), by authors well-known in their fields. Many illustrations, some taken from the Park Commission’s Report (1902) and color illustrations of the remaining water color renderings owned by the Commission. With this current volume, the Commission has chosen to explore its origins with a look into the events and people leading up to the creation of the Senate Park (McMillan) Commission in 1901 and the resulting plan for the redevelopment of the city. It commemorates the recent centennial of the Park Commission Plan as well as bringing to light aspects of and insights into the plan not generally or clearly understood by the public. The plan was and still is a work in progress. Its creation was a lofty endeavor born of the spirit of the times in a political and social climate that seemed to frown on any enterprise that required the spending of public funds or called for a change in the accepted appearance of the Capital. The participants faced formidable obstacles not unlike those that reverberate today whenever a change to the familiar is contemplated. These essays have been compiled to serve the people of Washington and all who find the creation of cities a subject of fascination.

Worthy of the Nation

Worthy of the Nation
Author: United States. National Capital Planning Commission
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 456
Release: 2006-11-19
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9780801883286

Illustrated with plans, maps, and new and historic photographs, the second edition of Worthy of the Nation provides researchers and general readers with an appealing and authoritative view of the planning and evolution of the federal district.

Washington Schlepped Here

Washington Schlepped Here
Author: Christopher Buckley
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 102
Release: 2007-12-18
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 0307422623

The father of our country slept with Martha, but schlepped in the District. Now in the great man’s footsteps comes humorist and twenty-year Washington resident Christopher Buckley with the real story of the city’s founding. Well, not really. We’re just trying to get you to buy the book. But we can say with justification that there’s never been a more enjoyable, funny, and informative tour guide to the city than Buckley. His delight as he points out things of interest is con-tagious, and his frequent digressions about his own adventures as a White House staffer are often hilarious. In Washington Schlepped Here, Buckley takes us along for several walks around the town and shares with us a bit of his “other” Washington. They include “Dante’s Paradiso” (Union Station); the “Zero Milestone of American democracy” (the U.S. Capitol); the “Almost Pink House” (the White House); and many other historical (and often hysterical) journeys. Buckley is the sort of wonderful guide who pries loose the abalone-like clichés that cling to a place as mythic as D.C. Wonderfully insightful and eminently practical, Washington Schlepped Here shows us that even a city whose chief industry is government bureaucracy is a lot funnier and more surprising than its media-ready image might let on. From the Hardcover edition.

Monument Wars

Monument Wars
Author: Kirk Savage
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2011-07-11
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0520271335

Traces the history of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., discussing its plan and structures, and considering how the concept of memorials and memorial space has changed since the nineteenth century.

The Sacred Geometry of Washington, D.C.

The Sacred Geometry of Washington, D.C.
Author: Nicholas R. Mann
Publisher:
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2006
Genre: Architecture
ISBN:

The author of "Reclaiming the Gods" and "The Isle of Avalon" now details the fascinating significance of the design of the U.S. Capital. Maps & illustrations.

The Art of Classic Planning

The Art of Classic Planning
Author: Nir Haim Buras
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 497
Release: 2020-01-28
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0674919246

"An accomplished architect and urbanist goes back to the roots of what makes cities attractive and livable, demonstrating how we can restore function and beauty to our urban spaces for the long term. Nearly everything we treasure in the worldÕs most beautiful cities was built over a century ago. Cities like Prague, Paris, and Lisbon draw millions of visitors from around the world because of their exquisite architecture, walkable neighborhoods, and human scale. Yet a great deal of the knowledge and practice behind successful city planning has been abandoned over the last hundred yearsÑnot because of traffic, population growth, or other practical hurdles, but because of ill-considered theories emerging from Modernism and reactions to it. The errors of urban design over the last century are too great not to question. The solutions being offered todayÑsustainability, walkability, smart and green technologiesÑhint at what has been lost and what may be regained, but they remain piecemeal and superficial. In The Art of Classic Planning, architect and planner Nir Haim Buras documents and extends the time-tested and holistic practices that held sway before the reign of Modernism. With hundreds of full-color illustrations and photographs that will captivate architects, planners, administrators, and developers, The Art of Classic Planning restores and revitalizes the foundations of urban planning. Inspired by venerable cities like Kyoto, Vienna, and Venice, and by the great successes of LÕEnfantÕs Washington, HaussmannÕs Paris, and BurnhamÕs Chicago, Buras combines theory and a host of examples to arrive at clear guidelines for best practices in classic planning for todayÕs world. The Art of Classic Planning celebrates the enduring principles of urban design and invites us to return to building beautiful cities."