The BID plays several roles in public space, acting as a matchmaker between spaces and activators, providing guidance and both direct and indirect support in the planning stages, as well as creating and promoting our own activations.

Progress on this initiative in 2025 included:

• Successfully advocating for the removal of the underpass barriers on the south and north sides of M Street NE.
• Hosting a full calendar year of in-person events, from small-scale pop-ups to signature celebrations, including place activations, art openings, movie nights, festivals, and the NoMa Farmers Market, which together attracted more than 50,000 people.
• Expanding and relaunching the Metropolitan Beer Trail, a free digital passport and prize-incentivized marketing program, and inviting thousands of customers to visit 11 NoMa and NoMa-adjacent breweries and bars accessible from the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
• Launching a free public art app to enable self-guided mural tours, and leading mural tours to raise the profile and awareness of the neighborhood’s deep stockpile of public wall art, and to raise the profile of local artists.
• Creating and installing vibrant banners in the NoMa-Gallaudet U Metro station to celebrate the 10th year of NoMa’s mural festival and partnering with WMATA to produce a video of the mural festival that was broadcast systemwide.
• Creating and promoting a mural walk to promote the 10th anniversary of NoMa’s mural festival to showcase iconic works from previous festivals.
• Advocating and promoting the completion of additional bike lanes along K Street NE, M Street NE, and First Street NE.
• Reestablishing and enhancing the Third Street Art Garden at 1225 Third St. NE that has become a beloved outdoor neighborhood gathering space and served as the site of more than 25 BID- and community-supported activations from April to October.
• Expanding the BID’s capacity to deliver events through a partnership with DC Fray, which brought a weekly bocce ball series to the Third Street Art Garden.
• Launching small-scale activations on the NoMa Meander, the North Capitol Street-adjacent public plaza space that creates an enhanced experience for pedestrians traversing the neighborhood.
• Supporting and promoting community activations at Alethia Tanner Park, such as Eckington Day and DC Family Bike Fest.
• Partnering with Red Bear Brewing Co. to host a Pride Block Party and Oktoberfest celebration in the plaza outside its location.
• Working with Diverse Markets Management, which recruits local BIPOC makers, to manage the NoMa Farmers Market, ensuring vendor diversity and expanding the roster of vendors to more than 20.

Targeted work on this initiative for 2026 will include:

• Enhancing activation spaces to accommodate use in all seasons.
• Building stronger relationships with building managers and retailers.
• Bringing back holiday lighting and/or activation to NoMa.