The District’s proposal
RFK campus plan
A new stadium and large mixed-use blocks.
District master-plan rendering · Figure 1.4
Washington, D.C. · Anacostia River
Explore the RFK neighborhood proposal from Courtyard Urbanist.
A stadium, new homes and a waterfront. Two different ways to make a neighborhood.
The Courtyard Urbanist proposal
RFK courtyard neighborhood
Small buildings, shared gardens and connected streets.
Courtyard Urbanist concept illustration · October 2026
At a glance
The numbers, side by side.
Homes
District plan: Up to6,500
Planned homes
180-acre RFK campus
Courtyard Urbanist: Modeled10,004
Homes in the design scenario
Larger study area, including Hill East
Different study areas. The courtyard proposal includes Hill East beyond the District’s campus boundary. These totals are not a same-site density comparison.
Homes with 2+ bedrooms
District plan: Not verified
No comparable count in the public sources reviewed.
Courtyard Urbanist: 5,002
Half of the illustrative mix, including 1,000 four-bedroom homes.
Affordable homes
District plan: 30%minimum
Commitment in the District’s published housing program.
Courtyard Urbanist: Not yet set
No affordability percentage or funded delivery plan in this design study.
District figures: 2026 published program. Courtyard figures: 27 October 2026 design scenario, not approved housing capacity. Sources and assumptions ↓
The difference you can see
Look at the size of each building.
Both proposals have courtyards. The courtyard proposal makes each block from many smaller buildings, with their own entrances.
District plan
Larger, continuous building forms
Long façades and larger complexes frame the District’s streets and open spaces.
District master-plan rendering · Figure 1.18Courtyard Urbanist
Many smaller buildings on one block
Distinct fronts, varied rooflines and small entrance groups share a garden behind the street.
Courtyard Urbanist courtyard concept · October 2026These views show different locations and angles. Exterior renderings do not establish the District’s interior floor plans.
From street to home
A smaller group of neighbors around each entrance.
The courtyard approach uses compact stair-and-lift landings instead of a long shared hallway. Homes can face both the public street and the quieter garden.
Illustrative housing types, not measured floor plans for either proposal. Courtyard home layouts, access and fire safety still need design and approval.
The courtyard proposal
Room for everyday life.
Gardens close to home. Local shops along the street. Places to gather by the river.
Streets to live in, not just pass through
Small frontages, room to walk and places to meet your neighbors.
Courtyard Urbanist street concept · October 202650%of the modeled homes have
two bedrooms or more
Shared gardens
Protected outdoor places for play, planting and time with neighbors.
Homes with two sides
The design aims for street-facing and garden-facing rooms, with more ways to bring in light and air.
Design aims and an illustrative home mix, not completed dwelling plans.
From the article
More views of the neighborhood.
From a family kitchen to the wider city, the proposal’s illustrations show how homes, gardens and streets fit together.
A neighborhood of individual buildings
Distinct buildings and entrances form coordinated blocks around shared gardens.
Courtyard Urbanist concept illustration · October 2026
A family kitchen beside the garden
A kitchen and dining area open onto a terrace beside a shared courtyard garden.
Courtyard Urbanist concept illustration · October 2026
The stadium in a neighborhood
Courtyard blocks, streets and a waterfront promenade surround the stadium.
Courtyard Urbanist concept illustration · October 2026
The waterfront at dusk
Homes and cafés frame the bridge arrival and the approach to the stadium.
Courtyard Urbanist concept illustration · October 2026
From the river toward the Capitol
The proposed neighborhood within Washington’s wider street pattern.
Courtyard Urbanist concept illustration · October 2026Illustrations from Alicia Pederson’s RFK courtyard neighborhood article. These are design concepts, not exact views of the current working model or completed building plans. Select any image to see it in full.
Take a closer look
A neighborhood on the river.
Homes, cafés and public places connected to the waterfront.
Explore the working design
The maps and 3D viewer are separate from these concept illustrations.
Sources & assumptions
What the comparison uses
- District housing and affordability: D.C. Office of Planning, 30 June 2026. The program bullet lists 5,500–6,500 homes and at least 30% affordable. The page’s closing summary uses a different lower bound; this comparison uses the shared upper bound of 6,500.
- District site and plan status: RFK Campus Master Plan. A 180-acre campus; final plan transmitted on 24 September 2026. Council adoption has not been verified here. Images are District master-plan Figures 1.4 and 1.18.
- Affordable-housing requirement: D.C. Law 26-54, §4(f). The legal requirement applies across the Developer’s Development Site, not automatically every parcel in the campus.
- Courtyard housing: 27 October 2026 housing calculation. 10,004 homes across the larger study area, including Hill East; 5,002 with two or more bedrooms, including 1,000 four-bedroom homes. Assumes an average private home of 890 sq ft and 91% residential efficiency. It is a design scenario, not an approved or financed development.
- Courtyard illustrations: Alicia Pederson’s RFK courtyard neighborhood proposal, 28 October 2026. These images communicate the design vision; they are not exact views of the current working model or evidence for the housing totals.
- Fair comparison: Study boundaries differ. No equal-area density claim is made. No comparable District family-bedroom count was verified in the reviewed public sources; that does not mean none are planned. Building renderings do not verify interior layouts.
RFK courtyard neighborhood
An independent Courtyard Urbanist proposal.