When given a challenge to imagine the District in 2050 with no Height Act or zoning requirements, local DC design firms rose to the occasion. Washingtonian picked its favorites: a proposal from multi-national firm Gensler, which has a K Street office, and one from a small Dupont Circle firm, Kube. Gensler focused on connecting DC to its neighbors and to the waterfront, with pedestrian platforms on Key Bridge, a new hypothetical shared transportation program called Paddleshare, and a bridge for walkers and bikers that connects Georgetown Waterfront Park to Roosevelt Island (pictured). Kube's plans focused on turning Washington's high-security buildings into pedestrian-friendly areas. Its plan includes a fountain/ice skating rink around the dome's turret; a giant digital screen facing the Elllipse for outdoor movie nights, supported by scaffolding that would double as micro-housing, shopping and urban farming; and a helipad for the President to arrive on a public roof deck with a pool and grills. [Washingtonian]