Public Participation

Abstract

The combination of government process, ownerships rights, and violation of land use turns public participation into city rights versus citizens rights. When citizens experience the exploitive manner of incompatible development and irreversible expansion, contrary to the dictates of historic preservation law according to the Home Rule Act of the District of Columbia, they rightfully expect a recourse and fair review process from its regulatory agencies, legislative branch, and executive branch of city government. Citizens coalesce, divide into task groups, and create a record of evidence supporting their opposition and a record of city procedures. When this monitoring and scrutiny uncovers suspicions of political patronage and underhandedness, an applicant to build digs in its heels. The opposition stiffens, and the court seems the likely arbiter to enforce appropriate standards of conduct among the city’s regulatory agencies. Enforcement then sets a citywide precedent for lawful accountable land use for all parts of the District of Columbia.