Prince George’s County

Image: Cheryl Cort

With 15 Metro stations, 8 MARC commuter rail station, parks, rivers, and farmland, and its older urban communities adjacent to the job center of DC, Prince George’s is a place of great potential.

We work with public officials and community leaders to support economic development through well-designed, mixed-use, transit-oriented development, which will build the county’s tax and employment base, and provide increased retail and housing choices

Our Work in Prince George’s


Rise Prince George’s 

Rise Prince George’s is an emerging group of county residents and allies advocating for policies and practices that build a shared, sustainable prosperity by creating safe, walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented communities. Learn more >>>

Zoning Code Rewrite

Prince George’s County has been working for six years to rewrite and implement its outdated zoning code. The zoning regulations were adopted by the County Council in 2018, but implementation through the Countywide Zoning Map amendment required another two years. The zoning rewrite offers an updated modern zoning and subdivision regulations. The revised regulations could help the county better link jobs, transit, new development and existing neighborhoods to create more livable, walkable, transit-oriented communities. Learn more >>>

Past Campaigns


  • Regional Medical Center: Our two-year campaign demonstrating the accessibility and health benefits of a transit station location paid off in 2013 when the county selected a walkable site next to the Largo Town Center Metro. As of summer 2015, the project is processing though needed approvals, including a certificate of need from the state of Maryland, before further plans move ahead.
  • Plan Prince George’s 2034: Plan Prince George’s 2035, the proposed 20 year general plan for Prince George’s County, could get the county on the right track if we can translate the sound planning ideas and good intentions into reality. We commend the planning board for the bold draft Plan Prince George’s 2035. But we worry that still permitting large-scale “suburban centers” on undeveloped land will jeopardize our county’s long-term sustainability, lead to worse traffic, and take away needed funds for investing in our existing neighborhoods and at Metro stations.

Latest Happenings


Getting Transit-Oriented Development Right

Getting Transit-Oriented Development Right

|
On December 5, we gathered with the Envision Prince George's Community Action Team for Transit-Oriented Development to learn from Stewart Schwartz, Chuck Boyd, and Shyam Kannan about best practices in getting TOD right in Prince George's County and beyond.

P.G. lawmakers consider fast-tracking transit projects

|
A discussion on fostering development near Metro stations quickly turned into a pointed -- and, officials hope, constructive -- indictment of Prince George's County's planning and zoning process. The meeting was a response to a pair of bills that would have allowed developers to fast-track the development process for projects within a half-mile of Metro or Maryland Transit Authority stations. The bills were tabled after criticism that they would allow such projects to bypass public hearings. Many speakers said the public hearing process is not what slows projects down. Cheryl Cort, policy director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, called the development process a "labyrinth."

Letter Supporting CB-2 “Adequate Pedestrian and Bikeway Facilities” to Prince George’s Council

|
We would like to express our strong support for this important bill, CB-2, which we call the “walk/bike connections” bill. This bill helps ensure that Prince George’s residents and visitors have better and safer transportation choices. By allowing the Planning Board to ensure that developments fill in missing links of essential sidewalk and other walk/bike facilities around a new development, the quality of development, as well as safety and access, will be improved. Offering multimodal transportation choices has been the intention of the county for several years through the “Complete Streets” policy adopted in the 2009 County Master Plan for Transportation. This bill helps implement this policy.

Support for Support CB-2-2012, Adequate Public Pedestrian and Bikeway Facilities in Centers and Corridors

|
I am here to express our strong support for this important bill, which we call the “walk/bike connections” bill. This bill helps ensure that Prince George’s residents and visitors have better and safer transportation choices. By allowing the Planning Board to ensure that developments fill in missing links of essential sidewalk and other walk/bike facilities around a new development, the quality of development, as well as safety and access, will be improved. Offering multimodal transportation choices has been the intention of the County for several years through the “Complete Streets” policy adopted in the 2009 County Master Plan for Transportation. This bill helps implement this policy in the development review process.
Where and How Should Prince George's Grow?

Where and How Should Prince George’s Grow?

|
On January 26, 2012, leaders gathered with the Coalition for Smarter Growth and Envision Prince George's Community Action Team for Transit-Oriented Development to discuss where and how Prince George's County should grow.