These themes come up constantly in our discussions.
I plan to check out this exhibit now on view at the National Building Museum: Washington, Symbol and City. From the description:
“Charles Dickens once called Washington a city of magnificent intentions. This humorous epithet notes that the young capital had not quite lived up to expectations by 1842, but it also acknowledges that the statesmen who planned the city aimed for greatness. Over the course of two centuries, the nation’s capital has grown to fulfill many of their hopes. Today, the revered Capitol and White House, the stately offices of government, the iconic monuments and museums, and the sweep of the Mall and the city’s many public parks all evoke the ideals of democracy in the 21st century.
Created by the government, for the government, Washington was bound to differ from other American cities. Here, the local needs that all cities share—for housing, transportation, water and power utilities, commercial centers, and community institutions—vie directly with national priorities. More than half a million residents now live in the District, in more than 100 neighborhoods. This exhibition explores how residents experience the city and how Washington itself expresses the tension between the demands of a working seat of government and the desire for a national symbol, and the hopes and needs of an evolving city.”
