Display of Metro Opening in Washington, DC, 1976. Changing Neighborhoods and Community Voices: The last fifty years have been a period of dynamic change in the world, across the nation, and in the capital city. A city known for its monuments and government agencies became the center of an increasingly complex metropolitan region. City government and community activists mobilized to address social issues and urban challenges. Amidst these changes, growing Latin American, Asian, and African populations have enriched a city historically defined as black and white.