The DowntownDC Foundation together with the DowntownDC Business Improvement District launched a Pocket Park Initiative this Fall to reimagine seven federally-owned parks in the DowntownDC area, building on the momentum of Franklin Park and the Parks Master Plan.
The organizations released a Request for Qualifications from landscape architecture and design firms due by Friday, Oct. 23 at 11:59pm.
This Pocket Parks initiative represents a strategic investment in the design, planning, and long-term stewardship of small but highly impactful urban green spaces in Downtown DC. The BID is interested in exploring active recreation options and other design potential for these parks, collect and incorporate public and stakeholder feedback in design refinement, and utilize the final concepts to establish a capital campaign to realize the proposed designs.
The organizations anticipate issuing awards to four (4) qualified Respondents by November 12th, 2026. Each Design Firm will receive an honorarium of $15,000 to support the development of high-quality, site-responsive concepts for their assigned Pocket Park(s).
The Foundation and BID have directly involved their partners at the US National Park Service as part of this process and will be working with them through the design process as well as through implementation.
After nearly a decade of work and a change in federal legislation, Franklin Park in 2021 reopened to the public after a $21 million investment by the DC Government. The park is operated and maintained by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) under a historic cooperative management agreement and with support from the Foundation. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors each year experience Franklin Park’s restored and enhanced central fountain and new interactive jets, the Children’s Garden, public restrooms, repaired and expanded ADA accessible walkways, enhanced seating, landscaping and healthy tree canopy, as well as events and activations.
The DowntownDC BID works with NPS in supporting and maintaining the 31 federally-owned parks and plazas within its square mile area.