Let’s get together (outdoors) to celebrate and look forward to the upcoming election year!
Join us on December 13 from 6:00-8:00 pm to celebrate our year of work together and look to next year — which is an election year! We’ll hear from the new Hyattsville Mayor Kevin “Scooter” Ward and other presenters who can speak to our past, present, and future of creating dynamic gathering spaces (Downtowns), more affordable housing, and innovative transportation for everyone who lives, works, and plays in Prince George’s County.
Transit Directions: The market is located directly adjacent to the Riverdale MARC Station but is also just a short last-mile connection (walk, bike, or bus) from the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station
Celebrate a year promoting our agenda of a shared, sustainable prosperity by creating safe, walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented communities.
Learn from community leaders, including Hyattsville Mayor Kevin “Scooter” Ward
Launch the RISE Prince George’s election platform to educate candidates and the public about how to build a better Prince George’s. Learn about how you can be part of winning support from our future elected officials to build a more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive County.
Photo: Mayor Kevin “Scooter” Ward, City of Hyattsville, MD
COVID-19 precautions: we encourage everyone to be fully vaccinated. This event is held outside, so bundle up! RISE Prince George’s does not endorse or work on behalf of candidates, or express any view for or against any candidate.
The CMA is critical to building quality, walk- and bike-friendly communities and vibrant, transit-oriented downtowns. That’s why CSG is urging the Council to implement this once-in-a-generation zoning rewrite. We’re close to the end of a process that began in 2014 – putting in place modern zoning regulations to replace 50 year old rules!
However, we’re concerned that, in some cases, aging apartments in designated transit centers are proposed for significant upzoning without sufficient protection for residents against displacement. Therefore, while supporting the CMA, we’re asking the County to adopt one of the fixes we’ve proposed to address this problem. We’ve included our suggestions in the sample letter we’re providing to you. You can also read more about our solutions in CSG’s testimony here.
Given the urgency of the recent U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, we know we don’t have time to neglect key solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, you can help Prince George’s County adopt smart growth climate solutions that are a win-win for people, the economy, and the climate.
Here are two ways to help: (1) send an email to the County Climate Action Commission (if you haven’t already), and (2) attend the upcoming virtual Climate Action Plan community meeting on August 19th.
Transportation (mostly from cars and trucks) makes up the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions at 48%, but the County’s draft plan misses opportunities to reduce emissions with smarter land use and transportation policies. Electric vehicles (EVs) and telecommuting are important but not enough. Smart growth solutions — transit-oriented development (TOD), affordable housing options close to jobs and services, better transit, and safe walking and biking, are effective and equitable strategies to reduce transportation-related climate pollution AND improve livability and prosperity in the county.
We commend the County Climate Action Commission for including three recommendations to reduce emissions through smarter land use and transportation. But to make an impact, these must be strengthened, including by:
Prioritizing walkable, transit-oriented development and affordable housing
Expanding employee transit benefits and implementing free fares
Expanding transit service
Making streets safer for people walking and biking
Want to get more involved? Join the upcoming Prince George’s community meeting on the Climate Action Plan on August 19 evening.
The Bus 028 photo courtesy of Prince George’s Department of Public Works and Transportation
On July 20, 2021, local and regional bus experts, along with stakeholders discussed where we are and where we want to be with Prince George’s bus service.
On May 18, 2021, RISE Prince George’s convened a virtual event to discuss the future of housing & economic development in the County. The talk was titled: “We can’t have quality economic development without affordable housing: so how do we get it all?” with:
Angie Rodgers, Prince George’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development, and Scott Nordheimer, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor, Urban Atlantic (lead developer at the New Carrollton Metro Station)
On December 13, 2021, we launched our RISE Prince George’s election platform to educate candidates and the public about how to build a better Prince George’s. We will be working with constituents and allies to reaching out to candidates targeted County Council and General Assembly races to build support with our future elected officials to build a more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive County.
Mission Statement: RISE Prince George’s is a group of County residents and allies advocating for policies and practices that build shared, sustainable prosperity in Prince George’s County by creating safe, walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented communities.
Vision: We seek to build a prosperous, equitable and sustainable future Prince George’s that contains:
Multiple thriving transit-focused downtowns (North, Central, and Southern parts of the County)
Inclusive, safe, and connected neighborhoods and municipalities
Preserved open spaces and natural areas
Assumptions: With 15 Metro stations, another 11 Purple Line stations on the way, and 8 MARC stations, the County’s transit assets are THE competitive advantage – for promoting future job growth, local economic development, and generating needed increases in the County’s tax base. Prince George’s also has the benefit of planning for a future which currently forecasts increased job growth, demand to live near transit, and the need for more homes near jobs and transit.
Objective: Through developing a strategy for shared prosperity and equitable development that is generated from and advocated by and for Prince Georgians (and their allies), we can create a virtuous cycle of economic growth which retains homegrown talent and businesses, attracts new investment, and improves both people and places – especially those historically excluded from wealth and opportunity.
Equitable economic development through transit-oriented development (TOD) will create the base of public and private resources that are necessary to support high-performing schools, community-oriented public safety services, increasing the amount of high-quality housing for people of all incomes close to jobs and essential services, as well as better employment, entrepreneurship, retail amenities, and wealth-building opportunities for all County residents.
How RISE Prince George’s will accomplish its vision: We will work with our members to educate, engage and mobilize for a policy agenda that reshapes policy and budget priorities to build on the County’s assets – transit, established communities, and the kinds of anchor institutions which drive job creation and economic growth.
We meet regularly (every 4-6 weeks), host programming (both virtual and, eventually, in-person) to educate/engage our members, and, in turn, formulate action plans for specific policy change campaigns.
Summary of potential long-term policy agenda:
Win equitable placemaking and transit-oriented development projects that begin to demonstrate what an inclusive walkable urban and smart growth future in Prince George’s could look like
Win land use and housing policy changes to sustainably grow the economy, livability, community benefits and equity of opportunity among residents
Win key transportation investments and policies to greatly improve the quality, safety, affordability and reliability of public transportation and access to daily needs, especially for low income people and communities
We embrace the Prince George’s Rising proposed county-wide Alliance for Equity and Prosperity, and see our group contributing to it, specifically focused on the TOD organizing strategy for equity.
