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Landscape Architects Urge Planning Commission to Reject Monumental Arch
Federal review confirmed harm to historic landscapes, showing why Section 106 protections must not be weakened
This week, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is expected to approve plans for a Monumental Arch at Memorial Circle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, in Washington, D.C. In response, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), which opposes the plan, released the following statement:
“The American Society of Landscape Architects is urging the National Capital Planning Commission to reject final plans for the proposed 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle. The National Park Service’s own review found the arch would adversely affect nationally significant historic properties, including Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Memorial Bridge, and the Lincoln Memorial. ASLA’s Board-approved public policies call for protecting historic and cultural landscapes, and for siting memorials through careful, deliberate review that respects the public realm and existing memorials. These plans fail that measure.”
“The question before this Commission is not simply whether this arch can be built. It is whether it should be built at the expense of a historic place that is treasured and belongs to all Americans,” Carter-Conneen said.
The adverse effects identified regarding the Monumental Arch came to light through review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. For 60 years, Section 106 has helped ensure that federally funded, licensed, or approved projects consider their effects on historic properties, and that the public has opportunities for consultation before decisions are made. Weakening these protections would leave significant landscapes and cultural resources vulnerable to irreversible harm.
ASLA has also endorsed the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act (H.R. 9047), introduced by Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.), which would prohibit construction of the proposed arch, bar federal funding for it, and require congressional approval for any monumental arch taller than 50 feet on National Capital Region parkland. As part of the project's Section 106 review, ASLA submitted formal comments to the National Park Service raising concerns about its adverse effects on nationally significant historic properties, cultural landscapes, and historic viewsheds.
Those same protections now face a Senate vote. The U.S. Senate is set to vote as soon as November 9 on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (S. 5653), a permitting bill that would significantly weaken Section 106 review. The legislation would narrow the range of projects subject to review and curtail consultation with State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), and other stakeholders. These changes threaten the consultation and public participation processes that help communities identify and protect historically and culturally significant places.
ASLA urges NCPC to reject the arch and calls on the Senate to oppose Title III of S. 5653 that would undermine meaningful historic preservation review and consultation.
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