Principal Activities

NCPC’s work is centered on four principal activities:

Urban Design and Plan Review
NCPC’s core work revolves around its review of all federal development in the region. The Commission reviews a wide range of plans and projects from memorials and museums to new federal office buildings to communications towers and perimeter security projects. Through its review, NCPC ensures that federal development meets the highest design standards and complies with Commission policy, including the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital: Federal Elements. NCPC also reviews District of Columbia public projects, proposed street and alley closings, and Zoning Commission actions, as well as private development in the Pennsylvania Avenue Historic District.

Comprehensive Planning
Congress, when creating NCPC, charged the agency with preparing a “comprehensive, consistent, and coordinated plan for the National Capital.” The Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital: Federal Elements serves as a blueprint for long-term development through its policies on transportation, preservation and historic features, parks and open space, foreign missions and international organizations, federal environment, historic preservation, and tourism. The District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan were developed under the auspices of the Mayor of the District of Columbia and were subject to NCPC review prior to adoption by the District's City Council.

Signature Planning
NCPC proactively develops long-term plans for the capital city and the region. NCPC’s signature plans focus on a variety of issues including developing well-designed perimeter security, ensuring that all quadrants of the city benefit from the federal presence, meeting 21st-century transportation challenges, and planning for future memorials, museums, and other cultural attractions in the nation's capital.

Federal Capital Improvements
Each year, federal agencies submit to NCPC their proposals for capital improvements in the coming six years. NCPC reviews these projects and advises the Office of Management and Budget on which projects should move forward. Through the Federal Capital Improvements Program, NCPC helps set the federal government’s development priorities.

Agency Policies and Procedures
NCPC has policies and procedures that guide its work, including submission guidelines; guidelines related to the FCIP; guidelines for public participation in all projects; and procedures for Commission review of agency plans and studies.