City planners are increasingly aware of health benefits of clean, living landscapes

Standing on the edge of the Anacostia River, with the disused piers of the old 11th Street Bridge in front of him, Scott Kratz says he doesn't yet know what the four design teams will propose for a new urban park on the site. The finalists have until September to submit drawings for the competition. But one thing is certain: The winning team will address public health issues as one of the central features of the park, which will reuse the old bridge piers to span the river and connect neighborho...