Silver Spring Streetscape Standards Update

Cars are parked along a tree-lined street with shops and restaurants under colorful awnings; a green street sign reads "Fenton St" and a "No Turn on Red" sign is visible.

A street view of a small shopping plaza with restaurants and shops, trees lining the sidewalk, and tall buildings in the background.

A row of townhouses lines a leafless, tree-lined sidewalk where several people walk, one with a small dog, on a clear day in an urban neighborhood.

Outdoor dining area on a city street with colorful tables, blue umbrellas, painted pavement, and potted plants, next to storefronts and trees.

The streetscape is a vital component of a successful urban area. ‘Streetscape’ includes the improvements within a right-of-way (ROW) that allow people to safely and comfortably travel along a street. These include street trees and landscaping, sidewalks and paving, street lighting and other street furniture, like benches and trash cans.

In 2025, Montgomery Planning updated the Silver Spring Streetscape Standards so that the future streetscape in Silver Spring will be more accessible, easier to maintain, and more responsive to climate change. This update aligns the Standards with the 2022 Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan and the associated Design Guidelines.

View the Streetscape Standards (Approved December 2025)

These Streetscape Standards are to be used for the design of streetscape improvements that are associated with development, as well as for capital improvement projects and regular streetscape maintenance. The Streetscape Standards are intended to be used by applicants, developers, and agencies within Maryland and Montgomery County that implement streetscape improvements in downtown Silver Spring.

This update is the result of a yearslong collaboration between Montgomery Planning and the following partner agencies and groups that implement or maintain the streetscape in Silver Spring:

Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration
Silver Spring Urban District/Regional Services Center
Montgomery County Department of Transportation
Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services