{"id":5409,"date":"2018-11-02T13:44:38","date_gmt":"2018-11-02T17:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/?p=5409"},"modified":"2026-03-23T12:05:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T16:05:24","slug":"new-suburbanisms-connection-to-economic-competitiveness-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/2018\/11\/new-suburbanisms-connection-to-economic-competitiveness-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"New Suburbanism: Walkability &#038; Transit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\"><!--<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ScoreGraph.png\">-->In previous posts, I\u2019ve discussed the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/2018\/07\/wages-inequality-and-the-aging-of-the-workforce\/\">economic challenges<\/a>\u00a0facing Montgomery County: stagnant wage growth, an aging workforce and increasing poverty. I\u2019ve also highlighted our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/2018\/07\/montgomery-countys-economy-the-good-the-bad-and-the-future\/\">assets<\/a>, including high incomes, low unemployment and a highly educated workforce. I\u2019ve pointed out that high housing costs are the result of limited\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/2018\/07\/population-job-growth-and-housing-supply\/\">supply<\/a>\u00a0and that both businesses and residents of all ages prefer neighborhoods that look and feel \u201curban,\u201d even if they aren\u2019t located near transit or in major city centers. I hope that I have been successful in showing how and why real estate development is essential to economic development. In particular, the supply of housing (at every price point and including both subsidized\/regulated projects and market-rate units) is crucial to attracting and retaining the mix of workers needed to make our economy strong.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past decade, we have been updating master plans in dense urban centers like Bethesda and encouraging redevelopment of aging suburban shopping centers in places like White Flint and Montgomery Village. We\u2019ve learned that we can apply certain lessons learned from cities to suburban development. We often refer to this practice as \u201cNew Suburbanism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s only a slight oversimplification to say that New Suburbanism is about a combination of three key ingredients:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Walkability (and bikeability)<\/li>\n<li>Mix of uses<\/li>\n<li>Compact neighborhood form<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Often these elements are incorporated into transit-oriented development, but they are relevant even in areas that do not have access to high-quality transit. On the other hand, not all transit-oriented development qualifies as New Suburbanism. Each of the three elements has to be incorporated in ways that are mutually reinforcing to produce better communities.<\/p>\n<p>For example, sidewalks help to make an area walkable, but a mix of uses \u2013 such as retail, offices and government services &#8212; in close proximity to each other may be even more important to make walking a practical and attractive proposition. The combination means that residents can easily walk to basic services, like restaurants and stores, and if they choose to drive instead they don\u2019t have to go far. A compact form of development means that space is used efficiently instead of encouraging dispersed development. These basic principles interact with each other and, when used correctly, create places that attract people and activity.<\/p>\n<p>Pike &amp; Rose, the North Bethesda development built to replace the aging Mid-Pike Plaza shopping center on Rockville Pike, is less than half a mile from a Metro station. This mixed-use hub is a good example of all the features we want to see in New Suburbanism, transforming an aging strip mall into an active, walkable and mixed-use community.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5442\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5442\" class=\"wp-image-5442\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/FRT-Pike-Rose-Grand-Park_1000.jpg\" alt=\"Pike and Rose Grand Park\" width=\"700\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/FRT-Pike-Rose-Grand-Park_1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/FRT-Pike-Rose-Grand-Park_1000-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/FRT-Pike-Rose-Grand-Park_1000-768x514.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5442\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pike and Rose, Photo courtesy Federal Realty<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Pike &amp; Rose illustrates some of the details that make the elements of New Suburbanism most effective. Short blocks, narrow traffic lanes to calm automobile traffic, bike lanes, street crossings that are easily managed by pedestrians, buildings that line the street instead of sitting behind surface parking lots, street-facing windows and entrances, and attractive landscaping all contribute to make Pike &amp; Rose an inviting place to visit and walk around. With residential and office space above retail and restaurants, it\u2019s got a good variety of uses, and the buildings vary in height to add density without being overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>By contrast, here\u2019s a streetscape in Tysons Corner that\u2019s also close to a Metro station:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5447\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5447\" class=\"wp-image-5447\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tysons_Corner_Sunset_1000.jpg\" alt=\"Tysons Corner Sunset, Photo by Joel D. Gray\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tysons_Corner_Sunset_1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tysons_Corner_Sunset_1000-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tysons_Corner_Sunset_1000-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5447\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tysons Corner Sunset, Photo by Joel D. Gray\u00a0<a class=\"mw-mmv-license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>With the Silver Line in operation, Tysons Corner certainly benefits from access to a major investment in public transit. But it\u2019s not an example of New Suburbanism \u2013 in fact, I would go as far as to say that it\u2019s not really \u201ctransit-oriented development\u201d \u2013 because it lacks many of the features described above. In fact, looking at this image it\u2019s hard to imagine a less pedestrian-friendly experience. The tall buildings behind the Metro station have no apparent relationship to the ground plane, the station is surrounded by multiple lanes of traffic and there\u2019s only one visible pedestrian crossing.<\/p>\n<p>The dismal conditions for walking in and around Tysons Corner have been <a href=\"https:\/\/usa.streetsblog.org\/2015\/08\/05\/people-wont-ride-the-tysons-corner-metro-if-they-cant-walk-to-stations\/\">cited<\/a> as one of the reasons Silver Line ridership has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/trafficandcommuting\/three-years-after-opening-the-silver-line-struggles-to-attract-riders\/2017\/07\/29\/a0c6cc06-6d74-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html?utm_term=.4019c050297d\">lower than expected<\/a>. Tysons Corner may become more walkable as new <a href=\"http:\/\/theborotysons.com\/\">development projects<\/a> take shape, but for now it shows why transit-plus-development does not always equal transit-oriented development (TOD). It\u2019s certainly not what we\u2019re trying to emulate when we think about how New Suburbanism can improve our economic competitiveness and quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>Another example of development near transit that just doesn\u2019t add up to TOD is New Carrollton.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5434\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5434\" class=\"wp-image-5434\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1024px-New_Carrollton_Maryland.jpg\" alt=\"Aerial view New Carrollton, Maryland\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1024px-New_Carrollton_Maryland.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1024px-New_Carrollton_Maryland-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1024px-New_Carrollton_Maryland-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5434\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New Carrollton, Photo by Christopher Sayan\u00a0<a class=\"mw-mmv-license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>With the Purple Line and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bisnow.com\/washington-dc\/news\/construction-development\/first-phase-of-27m-sf-new-carrollton-development-breaks-ground-80020\">new development<\/a> on the way, this auto-dominated, sprawling development pattern can be corrected, but like Tysons, it\u2019s got a long way to go.<\/p>\n<p>A better model for New Suburbanism is Park Potomac, located just off I-270\u2019s Exit 4:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5443\" style=\"width: 547px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5443\" class=\"wp-image-5443 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/12435_park_potomac.jpg\" alt=\"Park Potomac\" width=\"537\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/12435_park_potomac.jpg 537w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/12435_park_potomac-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/12435_park_potomac-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/12435_park_potomac-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 537px) 100vw, 537px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5443\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park Potomac, Image courtesy Montgomery County Planning Department<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Park Potomac isn\u2019t transit-oriented, but it includes all the features we look for in New Suburbanism, even though a big part of its appeal is ready access to I-270. What\u2019s important is that Park Potomac does a good job of adding housing and amenities in a setting that people and businesses prefer and at a scale that\u2019s appropriate for the location. Even more importantly, it\u2019s the kind of neighborhood where more and more people want to live and work.<\/p>\n<p>A recent report found that hundreds of companies are moving to walkable urban places because that\u2019s where their employees want to be \u2013 the disconnected, single-use office park of the past is no longer considered a viable alternative for a modern company that wants to attract a high-quality workforce.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"datawrapper-chart-j1J43\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important;\" src=\"\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/j1J43\/2\/\" height=\"403\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">if(\"undefined\"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper[\"j1J43\"]={},window.datawrapper[\"j1J43\"].embedDeltas={\"100\":581.0208339999999,\"200\":479.020834,\"300\":428.020834,\"400\":402.020834,\"500\":402.020834,\"700\":402.020834,\"800\":377.020834,\"900\":377.020834,\"1000\":377.020834},window.datawrapper[\"j1J43\"].iframe=document.getElementById(\"datawrapper-chart-j1J43\"),window.datawrapper[\"j1J43\"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper[\"j1J43\"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper[\"j1J43\"].iframe.offsetWidth\/100),100))]+\"px\",window.addEventListener(\"message\",function(a){if(\"undefined\"!=typeof a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var b in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])if(\"j1J43\"==b)window.datawrapper[\"j1J43\"].iframe.style.height=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][b]+\"px\"});<\/script><\/p>\n<p>At this point I should add that contrary to what some seem to think, New Suburbanist developments like Park Potomac are fully consistent with \u201csmart growth\u201d ideals even if they\u2019re not located near transit. Compact, walkable communities with a mix of uses limit the environmental impact of development and reduce vehicle miles traveled, delivering on the objectives of smart growth even without transit.<\/p>\n<p>The principles of New Suburbanism are flexible and can be implemented in both urban areas and suburban neighborhoods at different heights and densities. After all, whether you live in a high-rise apartment building, a townhouse or a single-family home, you should be able to walk or bike to nearby amenities and enjoy the benefits of a vibrant, well-designed public realm.<\/p>\n<p>And we can apply the principles of New Suburbanism even at the smallest scale. Here\u2019s a site plan image of a drugstore that commits all the familiar sins of auto-oriented suburban development:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5444\" style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5444\" class=\"wp-image-5444\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cvs_siteplan_2-252x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cvs_siteplan_2-252x300.jpg 252w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cvs_siteplan_2.jpg 457w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5444\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image courtesy Montgomery County Planning Department<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In this site plan, the building is surrounded by parking and doesn\u2019t have any relationship to the street. But here\u2019s a similar drug store project that uses walkable design principles:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5445\" style=\"width: 562px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5445\" class=\"wp-image-5445 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cvs_siteplan.jpg\" alt=\"CVS site plan\" width=\"552\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cvs_siteplan.jpg 552w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cvs_siteplan-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 552px) 100vw, 552px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5445\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image courtesy Montgomery County Planning Department<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Simply moving the building to the street, providing sidewalks and landscaping, and locating the parking behind the store can completely transform a low-density infill retail project and help make a community more walkable and inviting.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2013 I\u2019m not saying that transit doesn\u2019t matter. \u00a0Transit is extremely helpful in facilitating the kind of development that improves quality of place, and the most effective way to reduce driving is by providing access to high-quality transit service. All other things being equal, development near transit is always better than development without transit. Our challenge is that we need to find ways to create environmentally sustainable, attractive and livable communities even where the density and scale of development needed to justify transit is neither currently present nor appropriate in the future.<\/p>\n<p>I hope that in this series of posts I have shown why real estate development \u2013 including housing as well as office buildings \u2013 is important to Montgomery County\u2019s economic health. The rating agencies that evaluate our financial strength and ability to repay our debts certainly understand this factor.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moodys.com\/research\/Moodys-Assigns-Aaa-to-MD-Natl-Capital-Park-Planning-Commissions--PR_905529825\">renewing<\/a> our triple-A bond rating last month, Moody\u2019s cited the \u201clikelihood that [Montgomery County\u2019s] substantial and diverse tax base will remain strong <em>given ongoing development and proximity to the District of Columbia<\/em>\u201d (emphasis added). In planning for this growth, we have an opportunity to distinguish ourselves from our competitors. By embracing New Suburbanism, we can create communities with a strong quality of place that will help us to retain and attract skilled workers and their employers. We can accomplish this goal while meeting the housing needs of our workforce and improving the quality of life enjoyed by all our residents.<\/p>\n<p>In upcoming posts, I will turn to other aspects of planning for growth, including the impact of growth on public infrastructure, such as on schools and the environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\">In previous posts, I\u2019ve discussed the\u00a0economic challenges\u00a0facing Montgomery County: stagnant wage growth, an aging workforce and increasing poverty. I\u2019ve also highlighted our\u00a0assets, including high incomes, low unemployment and a highly educated workforce. I\u2019ve pointed out that high housing costs are the result of limited\u00a0supply\u00a0and that both businesses and residents of all ages prefer neighborhoods that look and feel \u201curban,\u201d even if they aren\u2019t located near transit or in major city centers. I hope that I have been successful in showing how and why real estate development is essential to economic development. In particular, the supply of housing (at every price point and including both subsidized\/regulated projects and market-rate units) is crucial to attracting and retaining the mix of workers &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/2018\/11\/new-suburbanisms-connection-to-economic-competitiveness-part-2\/\" class=\"read-more\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[69,97,91,72],"class_list":["post-5409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-design","tag-suburbs","tag-transit","tag-walkability","tag-walkable"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5409"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11099,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5409\/revisions\/11099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}