Thank you for joining us on Tuesday, August 15 for a conversation with Council Member Eric Olson on the Walkable Urban Streets Act, landmark legislation that would ensure safer road designs for people walking and biking near transit districts and local centers.
Category: Maryland
Walkable Urban Streets Act advocacy resources
Check out our factsheet and other resources on the Walkable Urban Streets Act.
Event Materials: “Where and how should Prince George’s grow?” with Peter Shapiro
Thank you for joining us on Tuesday, July 18 for a conversation with Planning Board Chair Peter Shapiro on where and how Prince George’s County should grow. We had a great turnout and a robust discussion.
RELEASE: Prince George’s County Safer Streets Legislation Hailed by Community Advocates
The Walkable Urban Streets Act will require county officials to apply its own urban street design standards and update the standards to keep abreast with national best practices. Better street designs will make urban centers safer and foster transit-oriented economic development.
Montgomery County: Great smart growth events tonight, tomorrow, all month!
Here’s news of a great event tonight and tomorrow. And the next weeks are full of exciting opportunities to support an equitable, climate-resilient future—which is certainly feeling urgent as our region experiences another round of Code Red air quality.
TAKE ACTION: A townhouse ban is not the way to guide us to smart, equitable development
Prince George’s County Council is considering a bill to freeze new townhouse construction for 2 years. We agree that too much growth is occurring outside priority centers, leading to increased traffic and high infrastructure costs, while diverting resources from existing communities. But a townhouse ban is an overly broad, indiscriminate approach that overlooks the underlying problems of Prince George’s zoning: too much single family zoning across the vast acres outside the beltway, and not enough flexible residential and mixed use zoning inside the beltway.
CSG comments opposing the townhouse moratorium in Prince George’s County
While we oppose CB 52 as not the right approach, we wish to express our support for the concern expressed in the bill in terms of ensuring residential growth is directed to the right locations. We find the singling out of townhouses for blame unjustified when permissive single family zoning across vast acres outside the beltway “established communities” are the underlying problem. Most of the land outside the beltway is zoned for low density housing, causing growth and additional demand on urban infrastructure, and robbing reinvestment resources from existing communities.
Event Materials: MoCo Better Bus Feedback-Palooza
Check out our handout from the event!
TAKE ACTION: Speak up for homes, and a vibrant Takoma Metro station
The proposed mixed-use development at the Takoma Metro station is a bold proposal, but it has vocal opponents. The project will provide 440 new homes with at least 70 affordable homes and transform a surface parking lot into a vibrant, safer, walkable place with cafes, a plaza, and usable greenspace. It will also provide better bus, walk and bicycle facilities, and control stormwater runoff for the first time.
Event Materials: Friendship Heights walking tour
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our walking tour of Friendship Heights on a beautiful day! Check out the event materials!