DRAFT CULTURAL EQUITY STRATEGIES
Thank you for your interest, time and commitment to the 11th Street Bridge Park’s cultural planning process!
We invite you to share your expertise and feedback on the below draft cultural equity strategies that are intended to amend the 11th Street Bridge Park’s current Equitable Development Plan.
These strategies were developed through two working group meetings, a public open house, and a happy hour geared towards local artists and culture keepers.
This page is broken down into three components:
- New Cultural Strategies — strategies that make up a new section of the EDP addressing arts, culture, and heritage in the Bridge Park’s impact area;
- New Strategies within the Current Equitable Development Plan Framework — strategies or action items that will be added to the EDP’s current categories of Workforce Development, Small Business Enterprises, and Housing;
- Edits to the Equitable Development Plan — line item text edits to current strategies or action items in the EDP.
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NEW CULTURAL STRATEGIES
The 11th Street Bridge Park will be a platform to amplify local, underrepresented arts, culture and heritage as well as a gateway to learn about the history, culture and current offerings of the city on both sides of the Anacostia River.
STRATEGY #1 — INFORMATION HUB
Create an information hub that communicates information about events and programming, occurring both at the park and in the Impact Area, with nearby residents and visitors.
ACTION ITEM #1: Share information on upcoming events and programming at the Bridge Park and in its impact area by designating a physical space on the park to crowdsource information like a community bulletin board or kiosk. Events organized by the 11th Street Bridge Park will include additional outreach such as fliering at community gathering places and/or sending individual mailings.
ACTION ITEM #2: Use the Bridge Park’s website to connect park users with programming at the Park, community events, and existing Impact Area resources (Ex: provide links to existing community calendars and directories of local artists and businesses.
ACTION ITEM #3: Use the Bridge Park’s website to share information on relevant topics aligned with Bridge Park’s Equitable Development Plan (Ex: Provide information on local history and culture, especially undertold narratives and underrepresented voices; Provide information about EDP resources like Ward 8 Home Buyers Club.
ACTION ITEM #4: Hire highly knowledgable, residents and youth from neighborhoods within the Impact Area — that act 1) engage with park visitors and 2) through neighborhood outreach, provide residents in the impact area with information about Bridge Park programming and events.
STRATEGY #2 — PROGRAMMING
Ensure that programming on the Bridge Park is affordable and accessible to all visitors, especially existing residents.
ACTION ITEM #1: Facilitate the setup and operation of a sustainable funding source (eg: endowment, capital reserve) that ensures the Bridge Park’s services and programming are accessible and affordable for all users. For example the funding source can be used to create a sliding scale, income-based payment system for ticketed events and space rental fees as well as support for free programming at the park.
ACTION ITEM #2: Provide training to Bridge Park staff, rangers and security staff that encourages the creation of a welcoming environment for all visitors. (Ex: Offer implicit bias training).
STRATEGY #3 — SPACE
Ensure that design of the Bridge Park includes a variety of spaces that support a range of informal, formal and temporary uses.
ACTION ITEM #1: Foster informal gathering spaces that support free and spontaneous programming and creative expression, while also serving as spaces for relaxation and healing. These spaces will remain flexible for a variety of uses including art, relaxation, exercise, social gathering and play.
ACTION ITEM #2: Ensure that Impact Area residents inform park design throughout implementation by soliciting continuous community feedback (using formal stakeholder groups such as the Design Review Committee. The Bridge Park will share its process for engagement and decision making with the public through its website and in-person outreach.
ACTION ITEM #3: Create/advocate for a timely, transparent and user-friendly process for permission/use of temporary and permanent performance and display space at the Bridge Park (based on THEARC model). (Ex. Provide visible and clear instructions for permitting on the Bridge Park’s website, provide a sliding scale, income-based payment system for space rental fees)
STRATEGY #4 — ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH
Prioritize programming and events at the Bridge Park that collaborate with local organizations, artists (of all mediums, visual, performance and literary) and residents in the Impact Area, especially programming and events that amplify undertold historic narratives and underrepresented voices regarding the culture and heritage of its surrounding neighborhoods.
ACTION ITEM #1: The Bridge Park endeavors for residents, stakeholders and culture contributors of neighborhoods surrounding the Bridge Park to make up the majority of the Equitable Development Task Force. Others will include experts in housing, small business, cultural equity and workforce development as well as government representatives. The cultural subcommittee of the Task Force will advise on programming, public art and events at the Bridge Park.
ACTION ITEM #2: Partner with local artists, creative entrepreneurs, organizations and civic associations to create intergenerational programming that reflects the diverse heritage of neighborhoods in its Impact Area.
ACTION ITEM #3: As a platform for local culture and heritage, prioritize programming on the Bridge Park that showcases DC metro area artists, humanities practitioners and entrepreneurs working with a variety of mediums (including visual, performing, culinary and literary forms). Prioritize programming that amplifies local history and elevates voices and narratives that have historically been marginalized.
NEW STRATEGIES WITHIN THE CURRENT EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FRAMEWORK
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES — STRATEGY #2
Leverage the 11th Street Bridge Park to build and sustain small businesses in the surrounding community.
NEW ACTION ITEM #4: Through partnerships with the arts community and city government, advocate for policies that preserve and create new affordable work, performance and presentation spaces, with the goal of expanding flexible and multi-use spaces for local creative entrepreneurs in the Bridge Park’s Impact Area. Ex: Incentives for developers to include studio space and incubators in their projects.
NEW ACTION ITEM #5: Support and advocate for zoning that preserves the ability for arts and culture organizations to open and maintain space in the Bridge Park Impact Area and commercial corridors.
NEW ACTION ITEM #6: Advocate for prioritization of local businesses, entrepreneurs, artists and arts organizations use of spaces zoned for the creative economy in the Impact Area. The goal of this advocacy is to ensure that local businesses occupy new and redeveloped spaces. (Ex. Community Benefit Agreements).
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES — STRATEGY #3
Ensure the Bridge Park is deeply connected to business corridors on both sides of the Anacostia River.
NEW ACTION ITEM #2: Encourage pedestrian access and visitor exploration of key economic hubs in the Anacostia and Capitol Hill/Navy Yard neighborhoods by collaborating with local BIDs on wayfinding signage. Additionally, partner with the Anacostia and Capitol Riverfront BIDs to provide neighboorhood maps highlighting local businesses and cultural organizations for visitors.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT — NEW STRATEGY #3
Advocate for equitable distribution of grants and educational programs that support capacity building, including mentorships, internships, and technical assistance within the Bridge Park’s impact area. (Ex. Advise/Advocate DC foundations, institutions and grant-making bodies on equitable application processes, that aligns with community values and lowers barriers to funding access).
ACTION ITEM #1: Advocate for technical assistance and capacity building grants within the impact area, especially east of the river with the goal of providing more opportunities for emerging artists, entrepreneurs and organizations to access these resources (Ex: DC Commission on Arts and Humanities and local foundations).
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT — NEW STRATEGY #4
Support and facilitate programming at the Bridge Park that builds the capacity of local artists, especially emerging artists and youth.
ACTION ITEM #1: Foster mentorships between youth, artists, and arts organizations/institutions by providing opportunities for collaborative and educational programming at the Bridge Park.
ACTION ITEM #2: Prioritize programming at the Bridge Park that builds the capacity of local youth and work with local partners who have expertise. Youth programming may include mentorships, internships, training, skill-building and professional development opportunities for emerging creative entrepreneurs at a range of skill levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced). (Ex: I-CAN Intern Program)
ACTION ITEM #3: Utilize the Bridge Parks’s venue and network of local artists and organizations to connect park users with existing and new STEAM educational opportunities in the Impact Area. Ex: The Bridge Park may serve as an outdoor classroom for youth engagement and education.
HOUSING — STRATEGY #2 — ACTION ITEM #3
Modify to include the following text: Facilitate pathways for DC cultural producers living in the Impact Area with non-salary-based incomes to own housing and production space (ex. CLT, TOPA for artists).
EDITS TO THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES STRATEGY #1 — ACTION ITEM #1
Establish a kiosk-based model on the Bridge Park featuring existing and new small businesses from the surrounding the Bridge Park Impact Area. A kiosk-based model will allow multiple locally-owned small businesses and local creative entrepreneurs to operate on the Bridge Park and access a wider customer base than they would in their respective neighborhoods. It is our goal to have a majority of stalls on the park dedicated to local, businesses, organizations and/or artists. This should include stalls across the park, as well as food carts and perhaps food trucks. Explore partnerships with neighboring established businesses and arts organizations, as well as local commercial kitchens and incubators, to fill potential kiosk spaces. Also, explore pop up retail opportunities in other areas of the park. Connect kiosk owners with established businesses and creative entrepreneurs for mentorship. (Note: kiosk-based model will be in addition to a stand-alone café on the park.)
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES STRATEGY #1 — ACTION ITEM #2
Identify locally-owned businesses, organizations and creative entrepreneurs for specific contracting opportunities to support Bridge Park services. Opportunities could include: construction; landscaping; operations and maintenance (including the maintenance of green infrastructure); cleaning; technology; programming; public art and media support. Prioritize Women Business Enterprises (WBE), Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Veteran Business Enterprises (VBE). Link to workforce training strategies where appropriate.
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES STRATEGY #2 — ACTION ITEM #1
Encourage building and sustaining a community of small businesses and a collective of arts organizations and creative entrepreneurs through mentorship, entrepreneurial training and partnerships. Connect surrounding small businesses, arts organizations, and creative entrepreneurs on both sides of the Bridge Park to community non-profits, community development financial institutions, banks / lenders, local business schools and other influencers for technical assistance, access to equity/capital and other support.
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES STRATEGY #2 — ACTION ITEM #2
Advocate for adaptive vacant city and privately-owned properties East of the Bridge Park that are zoned for commercial use and reuse with local small business tenants, including locals artist and creative entrepreneurs. For example, the city is currently considering three different proposals to redevelop two city-owned properties located at the intersection of MLK Avenue SE and Good Hope Road SE called the Anacostia Gateway project. Once the team is chosen, the Bridge Park can advocate for the commercial portion of redevelopments such as this, to include a commitment to local small businesses. Separately, the Bridge Park can advocate for incentives for the redevelopment of privately-owned commercial real estate, to lease to local small businesses, artists and creative entrepreneurs.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY #1
Ensure that neighboring residents in Wards 6, 7 and 8, as well as harder-to-employ District residents, including youth, are prioritized in the application process and hired for construction jobs and apprenticeships on the Bridge Park.
To view the existing Equitable Development Plan, visit:
