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Gallery Place Chinatown Activation Strategy

Bringing Downtown DC’s cultural character to life through strategic activations

Sector

Civic & Public

Region

North America

Timespan

2024

Gallery Place Chinatown has the potential to transform into a dynamic cultural district, seamlessly connecting iconic attractions like the MLK Jr. Library, the National Portrait Gallery, and Capital One Arena. With year-round events and programming spilling into the public realm, the area could become a thriving hub of activity and engagement. Credit: Gehl

As Downtown DC contends with the rise of remote work, shifting tourism patterns, and a diminished sense of safety, Gehl worked closely with DMPED and the Gallery Place Chinatown Task Force to reimagine the area’s future. Together, they harnessed its world-class institutions and curatorial expertise to create a more vibrant heart of the city.

Gehl designed and helped facilitate a public open house held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the heart of Downtown DC. The interactive session invited residents to envision the future of Gallery Place and Chinatown. Credit: Gehl
Gehl evaluated new ideas, legacy events, and workshop insights to shape an activation strategy for the Gallery Place Chinatown neighborhood. These ideas were brought to life in September 2024. Credit: Gehl

A guide for immediate activation

Since COVID-19, Downtown DC has seen a steady decline in office workers, with office and retail vacancy rates reaching 18% and 22% by 2023. However, despite gaps in amenities like playgrounds and grocery stores, growing residential developments signal a new dawn for Downtown beyond a nine-to-five business district. In response, the Gallery Place Chinatown Task Force partnered with Gehl to accelerate the area’s shift towards a dynamic, mixed-use neighborhood through strategic public realm activations.

Gehl developed a bold activation plan rooted in five key strategies: creating a signature event to punctuate each season, empowering local curators to spearhead special events, shifting from vacant to vibrant through street level activations, investing in three key public spaces for everyday delight along 8th Street, and supporting activations through cross-promotion and marketing.

Each strategy builds on existing strengths and programming expertise to create a mix of activations that, together, support a rhythm of public life. The plan was inspired by collaborations with Brandes Partners and Suite Nation, and proposals by Field Operations, Perkins Eastman, SHoP Architects, SITELAB Urban Studio, and WXY. In 2024, the Task Force began to envision a public-private partnership to implement and advance the strategy, calling it the Gallery Place Partnership.

Gallery Place Chinatown. Credit: Sam Amil
Julia Day, Team Director, New York, Partner Eamon O’Connor, Senior Project Manager Helena Wolf, Designer Candice Ji, Designer
The public realm poses a challenge to healthy food access in peripheral neighborhoods of Bogotá. Steep terrain, lack of transportation, and limited healthy food offerings make it difficult for Bogotanos to access the fresh produce needed to cook at home. The nature of the public realm forces people to rely on processed and fast food that is more accessible and heavily advertised. Credit: Gehl

Working across silos to address Bogotá’s food deserts through public space improvements

  • Community Engagement
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Ajuda residents have a median income in the bottom 30% of Lisbon’s earnings and well below the city’s average (2009). The neighborhood’s population nearly doubles daily due to the influx of university staff and students. Credit: Gehl

Improving food access in a disinvested community in Lisbon

  • Community Engagement
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Due to investments in large-scale infrastructure, the density of Melbourne’s peripheral areas is increasing. This is causing significant changes in the urban fabric of suburban centers. To measure changes over time, Gehl established a benchmark study in each of the station precincts focused at impacts on the public realm and changes in public life patterns. Credit: Suburban Rail Loop Authority

Enabling future impact assessment of Melbourne’s expanding rail infrastructure

  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Mobility
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Gehl

Reimagining Duisburg, Germany’s industrial site as a vibrant public destination

  • Place Activation
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy
Wilton Park, developed by IPUT Real Estate, is a landmark mixed-use development in the heart of Dublin Southside. As part of the development, new office workplaces are complemented by a transformed public realm, enhancing connectivity, accessibility, and vibrancy. Credits: IPUT Real Estate, Dublin

Measuring the impact of placemaking at Wilton Park, Dublin

  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Mobility
  • Urban Strategy
Credit: Related Ross

Boosting West Palm Beach’s commercial activity through public space activation

  • Urban Design & Masterplanning
  • Social Spatial Research
  • Urban Strategy

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