A Cultural and Dynamic Landscape Design

Abstract

Washington, D.C.'s state-named streets honor the nation's history, yet they lack meaningful cultural representation. This project proposes a new urban design framework to transform these streets into immersive cultural experiences. The ultimate goal is to design all 51 state-named streets, ensuring that each one tells the unique story of its respective state. Due to time constraints, Louisiana Avenue serves as the first prototype, demonstrating how landscape design can blend reality and abstraction to express a state's geography and culture. Inspired by Mud Island Park's realistic geographic modeling and California Scenario's abstract artistic approach, this design integrates Louisiana's topography, Mississippi River dynamics, and Creole cultural symbols into the urban environment. The project also incorporates flood-resilient drainage systems, including Louisiana-style water wells, addressing climate challenges. This scalable strategy can be applied to future projects, ensuring that all 51 state-named streets in Washington, D.C. evolve from simple names into meaningful, story-driven public spaces.