TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL
THE PROBLEM
The National Mall was built to represent the best America has to offer. Its monuments and
memorials stand as a testament to our nation’s shared values and ideals, and Americans have
exercised their rights on its sacred grounds throughout our country’s history. But hosting 29
million visits each year, combined with federal budget cuts throughout the National Park
Service system, have left the National Mall in a state of disrepair with needed grounds and
structural repairs, lacking amenities, and even barriers to accessibility.
THE SOLUTION
Trust for the National Mall was founded in 2007 as the official nonprofit partner of the National
Park Service to address these issues as part of an overall effort to restore, improve, and
preserve the National Mall.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
WASHINGTON MONUMENT REOPENING: In 2011, a 5.8magnitude earthquake severely damaged the
Washington Monument, causing more than 150 cracks
in the monument’s interior and exterior. Patriotic
philanthropist David M. Rubenstein generously
donated $7.5 million through the Trust for the National
Mall to match the funds allocated by Congress to
repair the iconic landmark. After 32 months of
restoration work, the Washington Monument was
officially reopened to the public May 12, 2014.
CONSTITUTION GARDENS DESIGN APPROVAL: Located between the Washington Monument
and the Lincoln Memorial, Constitution Gardens is a 38-acre park that was originally intended
to function as a social space for visitors and the local community. Officially dedicated in May
1976 as a living tribute to our country’s founding,
the park stands today as an undeveloped and
underutilized failing landscape due to a lack of
funding to complete the original design plans.
The Trust is undertaking a reinvention of this space
through designs that provide state-of-the-art
environmental, functional, and operational
sustainability. The winning designs, by Peter Walker
and Partners Landscape Architecture and Rogers
Partners Architects + Urban Designers, were chosen through a national juried design
competition. Both the Commission on Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission
have unanimously approved the design concept; with the help of private donors, the Trust
plans to break ground on Constitution Gardens in summer 2015.
COCA-COLA RECYCLING PROGRAM: In partnership with The Coca-Cola
Company, the Trust launched the National Mall Recycling Program in 2010 to
help improve the beauty of the National Mall while also reducing its
environmental footprint. The program, which is the first continuous recycling
effort conducted on the National Mall, makes recycling easy and convenient
with more than 320 permanent blue recycling bins available to park visitors. As
a result of this program, the National Park Service has seen approximately 20
percent of trash collected on the National Mall diverted to recycling.
VOLKSWAGEN’S INVESTMENT: In May 2013, the Volkswagen Group of America announced its
$10 million gift to the Trust for the National Mall. The
donation, which will be granted over a five-year period, will
support the collaborative efforts of the Trust and the
National Park Service to move forward on the National Mall
Plan. Additionally, in July 2014, the Volkswagen Group of
America presented the Trust with a 2014 VW Touareg
featuring the Trust’s logo that will be used to advance the
Trust’s mission of raising awareness and providing hands-on
support for the continued restoration of America’s Front Yard.
JAPANESE STONE LANTERN PLAZA: In 2013, the Trust
managed the construction of the Japanese Stone Lantern
Plaza on the Tidal Basin to improve accessibility to the 360year-old stone lantern through the creation of a new
pathway and granite plaza that also protects the cherry
trees and lantern from soil erosion and compaction.
Originally a gift from the United States to Japan, the lantern
stands today as both a symbol of the enduring JapaneseAmerican friendship and the centerpiece of Washington’s
annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
WAYFINDING SYSTEM: A wayfinding and signage system, designed by Hunt Design, was
installed on the National Mall in June 2011 to welcome and
direct visitors to the more than 50 museums, monuments, and
memorials on the 400-acre site. Comprised of 500 signs and
directory maps, the wayfinding system has made it easier
than ever before for locals and tourists alike to get around
the National Mall. The system was one of 18 projects
awarded by the 2012 Society for Environmental Graphic
Design Global Design Awards program, which honors the top
communication designs for the built environment.
CONTACT: MacKenzie Babb, Trust for the National Mall [email protected] or 202.688.3765