Through its planning policies and review of development proposals, the Commission seeks to protect and enhance the resources of the U.S. national capital.

[3] The 1952 National Capital Planning Act gave the commission its current name and the responsibility for preservation of important natural and historic sites in the area.

[11] The Memorials and Museums Master Plan advances the vision for Washington's monumental core expressed in NCPC's Extending the Legacy.

[12] The Monumental Core Framework Plan: Connecting New Destinations with the National Mall received unanimous approval from the Commission during its April 2009 meeting.

The plan, a joint product of NCPC and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, aims to create vibrant and accessible destinations in the federal precincts surrounding the National Mall.

[13] The 2013 SW Ecodistrict Plan is a long range, comprehensive approach to transform a 110-acre, predominantly federal precinct into a well-connected, sustainable, mixed-use neighborhood, workplace, and cultural destination that links the National Mall and the Southwest Waterfront.