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  Community Clips Smart Growth News for the Washington, DC Region September 1, 2005 In this issue:
Arlington Showcases Good Design to Revitalize Columbia Pike Leaders in Arlington County are combining cutting-edge design tools with an old-school transit approach to breathe new life into a key arterial, Columbia Pike. The planning tool, known as form-based codes, defines the scale and appearance of development and will be used to create mixed-use districts along the corridor. Coupled with streetcars as a transit link, planners plan to showcase how good design and transportation can revitalize aging suburbs. For more, read "Street Cars and Zoning Codes," by Bob Burke. BRAC Study Indicates Gridlock for the Fort Belvoir Area The shift of workers from Metro-accessible jobs to Fort Belvoir will result in traffic gridlock in that area, according to a study of the proposed BRAC realignments by SmartMobility, Inc. The Coalition commissioned the study after learning that Virginia, the Council of Governments, and local jurisdictions had not studied the direct impact around Fort Belvoir of the proposed DoD move. Read the Coalition's press release and the full report. Celebrate Rural Montgomery Unveils Tribute to Local Farming As Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve celebrates its 25th Anniversary, Celebrate Rural Montgomery unveiled a stunning new map by local illustrator Tina Thieme Brown. Depicting the abundance and diversity of the 93,000-acre reserve, the map pays homage to the county's agricultural heritage. See the map at Celebrate Rural Montgomery. Learn more from Nancy Trejos' article in the Washington Post. Community Design a Factor in America's Obesity Challenge A new report published by the Trust for America's Health that addresses our nation's increasing obesity rates includes community design as a contributing factor in the upward trend. Among its policy recommendations, the report cites smarter community design -- including requirements to evaluate health impacts of new building efforts and mandates to include food shopping venues in new developments. Read the report. The High Cost of Free Parking Donald Shoup, professor of urban planning at UCLA, has come out with a new book that pins the blame for scattered development on the ubiquitousness of "free" parking. Shoup makes his case in The High Cost of Free Parking, arguing that by hiding the true cost of parking in everyday expenses, everyone parks free at everyone else’s expense. He notes that when parking is provided for "free," no one can pay less for parking by using less of it. Shoup details how this pattern skews travel choices toward cars and away from public transit, cycling, and walking, and in turn changes the way we build our cities, the way we travel, and how much energy we consume. Read the first chapter, courtesy of the American Planning Association. Upcoming Events
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