Prince George's County - Coalition For Smarter Growth

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Prince George’s County has been working for six years to rewrite and implement its outdated zoning code.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

Prince George’s County: New Carrollton Preliminary Transit District Development Plan and Proposed Transit District Overlay Zoning Map Amendment

ian | June 19, 2009

Overall, we want to express our enthusiasm for the plan to recreate the New Carrollton station area as a great metropolitan center with a grand transit station as the anchor. We concur with the real estate experts panel report of the Urban Land Institute that “the first step in catalyzing development at the station area is to focus on the station itself.” Built in 1978, the station is one of the oldest in the system. The station, however, is a leading economic development asset for the county.

Region’s Longest Commutes Show Need for Smart Growth and Transit

ian | February 3, 2009

Today’s Washington Post (A-1, “A Dubious Distinction: The Longest Ride in the U.S.”) reports on Census Bureau data showing that residents of parts of Prince William and Prince George’s Counties have some of the longest average commutes in the nation. Key issues highlighted in the article:

TOD Presentation to Prince George’s County Council

katie | May 20, 2008

A presentation given on May 20, 2008 which explains the benefits of transit-oriented development in Prince George's County.