The DowntownDC Business Improvement District works to strengthen the heart of Washington, DC as a vibrant, welcoming, and economically thriving urban center. Its work spans public-space management and activation, economic development, hospitality, events, placemaking, and advocacy, bringing together businesses, property owners, residents, and civic partners to support the continued evolution of downtown.
Lukas Umana is Senior Director of Public Space Operations and Activations at the DowntownDC BID, where he leads work to create clean, safe, vibrant, and memorable public spaces. His work brings together placemaking, public art, events, hospitality, and creative partnerships to strengthen Downtown DC and demonstrate the economic and community value of great public-space experiences
Judy Scott Feldman has spent more than two decades championing the National Mall as America's premier civic gathering place. As founder of the National Mall Coalition, she has worked to protect the Mall's historic legacy while advocating for its continued evolution as a place where future generations can gather, commemorate, celebrate, and participate in American democracy.
Her work reminds us that preserving great public spaces isn't about freezing them in time—it's about ensuring they remain meaningful, accessible, and relevant for the publics still to come.
The National Mall Coalition advocates for comprehensive, forward-looking stewardship of America’s most prominent civic gathering place. Bringing together preservationists, planners, educators, and citizens, it works to ensure the National Mall remains vital, accessible, and capable of serving future generations.
