Southwest BID
The Southwest Business Improvement District (SWBID) serves the area south of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., using public art and creative placemaking as central tools for shaping the neighborhood’s public realm. Through murals, artist collaborations, temporary installations, and other creative interventions, SWBID brings color, storytelling, and a distinct sense of place to streets, sidewalks, and shared spaces throughout Southwest.
Alongside its broader work in public-space management, programming, and economic development, SWBID’s arts initiatives demonstrate how a business improvement district can use creativity not simply as decoration, but as a way to make public spaces more welcoming, memorable, and connected to the communities that use them.