Washington DC#
The most radical experiment: demolish the convention center, build mixed-use. Both the old site and the convention function performed better after the separation.
Facilities#
- Old Convention Center → CityCenterDC — 909 H Street NW. Opened 1982, demolished 2004. Replaced by $950M mixed-use (Foster + Partners).
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center — Mt. Vernon Square. Opened 2003. 703,000 sq ft exhibit. $6B+ cumulative delegate spending.
CommonScore: Washington DC — 30#
CommonScore: 30.
Claims in italics are unverified and may be incorrect.
| # | Dimension | Wt | Avail | Scale | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food | 11 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 3.1 | Eastern Market (vendor stalls, year-round). Farmers markets. Union Market (vendor participation). Food truck culture. |
| 2 | Civic | 11 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 5.9 | DC Public Library (Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, renovated 2020 + 25 branches). Fabulous meeting rooms. Every federal agency has public-access space. Civic participation infrastructure is world-class — it’s the capital. |
| 3 | Education | 9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 3.6 | UDC (University of the District of Columbia — open admissions). Smithsonian workshops (free). Georgetown/GW/Howard continuing ed. Federal agency public programs. |
| 4 | Arts | 7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.0 | Torpedo Factory (Alexandria, studio space — technically Virginia but metro-accessible). Smithsonian artist programs. Anacostia arts scene. |
| 5 | Music | 7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.5 | Go-go music is DC’s participation genre — live, interactive, audience participation is part of the form. U Street venues, open mics. |
| 6 | Makers | 7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.1 | MLK Library has a maker space (digital commons, 3D printers, studio). Nova Labs (Virginia). |
| 7 | Industry Networking | 7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 3.4 | Walter E. Washington Convention Center (703K sq ft). Major conferences, association meetings. DC is the association capital of the US. |
| 8 | Markets | 7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.0 | Eastern Market (year-round, vendor stalls). Dupont Circle farmers market. Flea markets. |
| 9 | Kids | 6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.9 | Rec center programming. Smithsonian educational programs (free). |
| 10 | Robotics | 6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | Some university-linked programs. Federal research (NIST) but not public participation. |
| 11 | Wellness | 5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | Rec centers with pools. Community wellness programs. |
| 12 | Seniors | 4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.6 | Senior centers. Library programs. |
| 13 | Gaming | 4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | Board game cafes, organized play. |
| 14 | Theater | 4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.7 | Arena Stage community programs, Woolly Mammoth. DC has a solid theater scene with some participation. |
| 15 | Sports | 2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | Rec leagues, pickup basketball. Mall running. |
| 16 | Mega-Events | 3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.5 | Convention center hosts major conferences. DC is the US association capital. |
Dimension scores = Wt × Avail × Scale. Total: 30 → CommonScore 30.
The Civic Infrastructure Advantage#
DC’s civic infrastructure score (5.9) ties with Boston and trails only New York. The newly renovated MLK Library has a maker space, recording studios, and event space — shades of Oodi. Every federal agency has some form of public-access programming. The Smithsonian system provides free education and arts programming at scale.
DC is also the only city in the dataset that demolished its old convention center and saw both the old site and the convention function perform better after the separation.