How Would You Spruce Up the Washington Monument Grounds?

The nation’s most famous obelisk may hold the disappointingly abstract key to (spoiler alert!) Dan Brown‘s latest conspiracy caper, but it’s always been lacking in the landscaping department. Although the Washington Monument is the defining feature of the D.C. skyline and the centerpiece of the National Mall, at ground level its vast open space remains unfinished and underutilized. Not to worry, monument fans! It’s nothing that a good old-fashioned National Ideas Competition can’t solve. Channel your waning Election Day patriotism into developing an innovative and creative idea for making the Washington Monument grounds more welcoming, educational, and effectively used by the public.