overnment
and later public works projects could not keep up with the city's growing
population. By the early 1900s, L'Enfant's vision of a grand national capital
had become marred by slums and randomly placed buildings, including a railroad
station on the National Mall. A plan enacted by Congress in 1901 beautified
Washington's ceremonial core, re-landscaping the Capitol grounds and the
National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new city-wide park system,
finally developing the city into L'Enfant's intended grand design. The New Deal
spending of the 1930s led to the construction of even more federal buildings,
memorials, and museums. Government activity only increased with the coming of
World War II and the city hasn't looked back since.
