It’s no secret — the National Mall, for all its historical significance, isn’t exactly the prettiest place in the world. Broken water fountains, patchy grass, ugly security fences and totally nasty restrooms are amongst some of the many problems with what should really be a gorgeous space. The National Park Service is here to change that, and they’re going all Web 2.0 on our asses through an online campaign asking the public their opinions on…

Scary stuff in the Post today. Dangerous train cargo passing though the District still poses a great threat to the city as D.C. lawmakers and environmentalists accuse “the Bush administration of waiting until after the Nov. 2 election to decide whether to require railroads to route hazardous materials around Washington.” The fear? Trains carrying chorine gas and other caustic and lethal substances derailing just blocks from the Capitol sending Bhopal-style plumes of gas across the…

A major permanent exhibit on the history, geography, and architecture of Washington D.C. will open at the National Building Museum this Saturday. The exhibit, titled Washington: Symbol and City, will explore the tension between the desires of government and the “hopes and needs of a thriving city.” The exhibit includes a variety of historical materials, large “touchable” architectural models of the White House, the Capitol, the capstone of the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln and…

The National Mall is officially crowded. Now that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is set to open next week, all the usable space intended to be used for museums, monuments and other important national sites have been taken. The Post explores the politics of the National Mall in this morning’s edition. Everybody wants a piece of it, but there’s no room to spare. In fact, the chairman of the National Capital Planning…

L’Enfant’s 1791 plan for Washington has been celebrated around the world. Its grand avenues, circles, squares and monumental layout has created an impressive international capital city. But like any city, D.C. has changed over the past two centuries. But a local architect, the Post reports, has determined that in the past century, the District has lost 22 miles of its original street plan. Recent security threats have closed more streets around Capitol Hill and near…