Defining What's Now and Next for DC's Downtown
Join Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) to explore downtown's present and future as new mixed-use neighborhoods emerge — Downtown Defined.
Residents, business leaders, and stakeholders will learn about what's happening in central Washington now and next. You’ll hear about emerging neighborhoods between Dupont Circle to The Wharf, from the East End to the West End, and explore the future of retail and entertainment, transportation, and the path to delivering a dynamic mix of uses.
Program topics:
- "Ideas to Action" in Gallery Place Chinatown
- Repositioning of the Golden Triangle
- Planning Southwest DC
- Insights into housing, transportation, retail, and hospitality
Thursday, October 29, 2026
9 am – Check-in and networking begin
10 am – Program begins
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004
(Atrium Ballroom, Lower Level)
To request language assistance or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please email [email protected] at least five days before the event. If you have any questions, contact the DMPED office at [email protected] or (202) 727-6365.
Don't wait to register — seating is limited.
Event Highlights
| Pre-Summit Check-in, breakfast, and networking |
| Sponsor Welcome Allyson McKithen, Executive Director (World Trade Center |
| Opening Remarks Deputy Mayor Nina Albert (Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development) |
| Downtown Momentum A look at major investments and momentum reshaping downtown's path forward, Presented by Leona Agouridis, President and CEO (Golden Triangle BID) and Gerren Price, President and CEO (DowntownDC BID) |
| Downtown Transportation Plan How smarter mobility planning can move downtown into its next era, Presented by Shyam Kannan, Transportation Planning Lead (HDR Engineering) |
| Strategic Repositioning of the Golden Triangle BID Exploring new opportunities to evolve the Golden Triangle through mixed-use growth and activation, Presented by Leona Agouridis, President and CEO (Golden Triangle BID) |
| Downtown Retail's New Normal How retail is adapting to new market realities downtown, Presented by Anya Chan, Director of Research (Streetsense) |
| A New Pennsylvania Avenue A new vision for Pennsylvania Avenue as a venue to restore this iconic street as a premier destination, Presented by David Rubin, Founding Principal (Land Collective) |
| Chinatown Renewal Initiative A community-driven effort to strengthen local connections, celebrate Chinatown’s cultural heritage, and support small businesses, Presented by Tim Ma & Winston Lord, Co-Leads (Chinatown Renewal Initiative) |
| Special Remarks Mayor Muriel Bowser (Mayor of Washington, DC) |
| A Vision for Southwest DC Preview of how redevelopment and federal transitions can unlock a new chapter for Southwest, Presented by Steve Moore, Executive Director (Southwest BID) and Diane Sullivan, Acting Executive Director (National Capital Planning Commission) |
| Working with GSA to Transform a Neighborhood How the District and the General Services Administration (GSA) can partner to reimagine Southwest DC, Panel discussion with Elliot Doomes, Senior Counsel (Husch Blackwell), Dan Mathews, President (Mathews Associates), Moderated by Steve Moore, President and CEO (Southwest BID) |
| Closing Remarks Deputy Mayor Nina Albert (Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development) |