The National Mall Coalition has long advocated the need for an updated, comprehensive, forward-looking plan for the Mall in the 21st century and beyond – the 3rd Century Mall. Read below our reports that explain the need, propose solutions, and reveal our evolving thinking in response to ongoing modern challenges.
The 2025 slideshow encapsulates what we have learned and is our call to the American people to take action to support the 3rd Century Mall. The most comprehensive overview of our ideas is the 2009 Renewing American Democracy on the 3rd Century Mall report.
Visit also our public exhibitions page that highlights our efforts to educate the public about Mall history and the exciting possibilities for the future.
- 2002 State of the National Mall
- 2004 Future of the National Mall
- 2008 Rethinking the National Mall
- 2009 Renewing American Democracy on the 3rd Century Mall
- 2016 America’s 3rd Century National Mall (slideshow)
- 2025 The National Mall Belongs to the American People (slideshow)
Our purpose – in the face of fragmented Mall management among eight government entities including the Smithsonian and the National Park Service – is to speak up for the larger public interest on the Mall, the Stage for American Democracy.
Our advocacy remains resolute: to protect and advance the brilliant legacy of the 1791 L’Enfant Plan and the 1902 McMillan Commission Plan; to advocate improvements and policies that put the American people at the heart of the Mall’s meaning and purpose; and to propose innovative ideas to show how the Mall can continue to grow and evolve in its role as Stage for American Democracy.