Thrive Montgomery 2050

County Council approves Thrive Montgomery 2050

Thrive Montgomery 2050 is the long-awaited update to our county’s General Plan—the policy document that envisions what the future of Montgomery County could look like when we come together to realize an equitable vision that works for all of us.

The Wedges and Corridors Plan has served the county well in the past, but a new plan was needed to better meet the evolving needs and changing demographics of Montgomery County. As the first update to the General Plan in nearly 60 years, Thrive Montgomery 2050 gives us a clear path forward: to create places where we can increase accessible housing, improve transit, and strengthen businesses together in equitable, sustainable ways. The plan was approved by the Planning Board on April 8, 2021, and approved by the Montgomery County Council on October 25, 2022.

View the Approved and Adopted Thrive Montgomery 2050

Thrive Montgomery 2050 Outreach and Engagement Appendix
View the Thrive Montgomery 2050 two-page explainer: English | አማርኛ | 汉语 | Español | فارسی | Français | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt

Key recommendations

Focus on growth in downtowns, activity centers, and along key corridors—with amenities serving existing and new residents while preserving our open spaces
Prioritize racial equity and economic competitiveness—throughout the county and especially in East County
Emphasize walking, biking, and transit—to reduce car traffic, minimize emissions, and keep everyone safer in their travels
Embed social connections and public health into our land use planning—because thriving depends on more than just new development
Enhance public and private spaces alike with arts and culture—because quality of place is integral to quality of life, as well as shared economic health
Target place-based environmental sustainability and resilience—so growth happens in already-dense places and the Agricultural Reserve and parkland remain protected for future generations

Thrive Montgomery 2050 Outcomes

Racial equity and social justice:: Advancing racial equity through just planning policies and public investments in underserved communities, promoting the racial and economic integration of neighborhoods, and focusing on the potential for the design of communities to help build social trust and inclusion while encouraging civic participation are among the most significant elements of Thrive Montgomery 2050. Thrive Montgomery 2050 strives to create racially integrated and just communities.
Environmental resilience:: Thrive Montgomery’s focus on a compact form of development with a mix of uses supported by transportation systems that make alternatives to driving practical and attractive are essential pieces of any comprehensive strategy to fight climate change. A stronger focus on walking, biking, and transit infrastructure will be crucial, but the significance of mixed uses and compact development in reducing driving is equally important. The environmental benefits of dense, walkable neighborhoods dovetail with the increasing preference across age groups to live in walkable places served by a mix of uses and amenities.
Economic competitiveness:: We want to strengthen our economic competitiveness by creating the kind of places where people with diverse choices want to live and work. Its recommendations for land use, transportation, parks, and other public and private infrastructure lay the groundwork for economic development initiatives undertaken by other entities. Different skill and education levels and linguistic, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds infuse the local economy with the varied pool of skills, experiences, and perspectives necessary to solve problems and innovate. The Plan’s compact land use pattern and walkable communities supported by an efficient transit network will connect the county’s diverse population to economic opportunities.

Today’s challenges

Today Montgomery County finds itself facing new challenges and changing circumstances that require us to rethink approaches that served us well in the past. Montgomery County has tremendous assets, including a highly educated workforce, proximity to the nation’s capital, and a culture of openness to newcomers, but we also are struggling to attract businesses and house our residents, grappling with a legacy of racial and economic inequality, and facing the effects of climate change. As a group our residents are older, more diverse, and less likely to live in traditional family arrangements. We have evolved from a bedroom community to a complex jurisdiction with major employment centers, urban hubs, mature residential neighborhoods, and rural landscapes.

With 85 percent of our land already developed or otherwise constrained, accommodating even the relatively modest growth expected over the life of this plan is an ambitious undertaking.

The demographic characteristics of Montgomery County residents have changed. With 85 percent of our land already developed or otherwise constrained, accommodating growth will be a challenge. This plan outlines strategies to accommodate growth in ways that not only make room for new residents but also improve the quality of life for the people who are already here.

While the Wedges and Corridors Plan was visionary, its implementation also had some unintended consequences such as inequitable investment between the eastern and western parts of the county, excessive reliance on automobiles, and zoning of more than one-third of the county exclusively for single family homes. Discriminatory land use and planning-related practices, including the legacy of redlining and racial covenants combined with exclusionary zoning, produced inequitable patterns of development.

While the end of de jure racial discrimination eliminated many legal barriers to equity, social and economic obstacles remain. For Montgomery County to continue to thrive, we must be prepared to make difficult decisions and take bold steps to prepare for the future. Thrive Montgomery 2050 is the vehicle for assessing these shifts and adapting our approach to planning for the next 30 years.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Thrive Montgomery 2050 needed? What if we just keep everything the same? What would happen?

Montgomery County’s residents are already seeing housing prices increasing, making parts of the county unaffordable for too many of our residents. We have heard young adults who grew up in this county tell us at public meetings that they are worried about being able to stay here because housing is too expensive. The county is expected to add over 200,000 residents by 2050. Unless we plan now to make room for these new residents, our existing communities will become more expensive, less diverse and integrated, and it will be difficult to attract and retain a skilled workforce.

Montgomery County is a great place to live, work, and play. But it didn’t happen by accident. We planned for that! The great communities, places, and spaces that keep us calling Montgomery County home — like vibrant parks; quality schools; desirable urban, suburban and rural communities; and the Agricultural Reserve — were all shaped by planners and community members decades ago. They had to make big decisions and plan thoughtfully for the future that is now. The kind of forward thinking, imagination and dedication demonstrated in previous decades has allowed our community to thrive today. For Montgomery County to continue to thrive — and become an even better place and community for all — we must make those big decisions again and take bold steps for our future and that of generations to come. Thrive Montgomery 2050 gives us a clear path forward: to create places where we can increase accessible housing, improve transit, and strengthen businesses together in equitable, sustainable ways.
How was the Montgomery County community engaged in this process?

Equity is at the core of what we do. The Planning Department’s Equity Agenda has informed Thrive at every step, from conception to drafting to refining. This is a perspective on planning that we take seriously. We aim to break down barriers and empower every person to live well and thrive in Montgomery County now and in the future. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its substantial impacts on our typical in-person outreach activities, we have done and continue to do all we can to ensure residents can weigh in on Thrive in ways that are easy, comfortable, accessible, and convenient for them. We were able to speak with any and every community group that requested our presence, and attendance at virtual meetings was roughly double what we had seen at in-person-only events pre-pandemic. More participation in the planning process is always a good thing, and we plan to continue these practices in the future.

View the Thrive Montgomery 2050 Outreach and Engagement Appendix.
What does Thrive have to do with zoning?

A General Plan does not change zoning. It does not provide specific land use guidance to address short-term issues in targeted geographic areas. It addresses multiple topic areas, at a high-level policy range, rather than just one.

Thrive has policies, practices, and actions that point to where potential zoning changes may be needed in the future to implement its policies.

Any zoning changes would take place either through local master plan efforts or through amendments to the zoning code text. Both of those methods require multiple opportunities for public input before the County Council makes any changes to zoning.
What does Thrive say about single-family zoning?

Thrive Montgomery 2050 focuses on expanding housing choices so that residents have more options that they can afford and that meet their varied needs. It does not discourage single-family housing, nor will it change any existing homes. That said, Montgomery County has well-documented shortages of affordable and attainable housing, and neighborhoods dedicated exclusively to single-family houses often leave residents detached from retail and other services, encourage the construction of stand-alone public facilities, and perpetuate the inefficient use of land.

Plus, we know that a range of housing types priced for a range of incomes is essential to integration and equity. That’s why Thrive encourages the enabling and development of more housing of all kinds that are available at all price points. This includes single-family housing, “missing middle housing” such as duplexes, cottages, and quadplexes; and low, midrise and high-rise apartment buildings.
Why do we need to have a mix of housing – why can’t we just leave our single-family neighborhoods alone?

We know Montgomery County’s diverse communities have a wide variety of needs in terms of housing— including affordability, the size and type of housing and proximity to transit, and the types of housing residents need or can afford also can change throughout their lives. The county also has a housing supply gap that will continue into the future. Montgomery County’s residents are already seeing housing prices increasing, making parts of the county unaffordable for too many of our residents.

Thrive Montgomery 2050 aims to ensure that exclusively single-family zoning is not a barrier to development in many Montgomery County neighborhoods. This is an important step in how the county begins to address past inequities in housing choice, while also creating more options for housing that is affordable and attainable to current and future residents of all income levels.
Thrive might not have zoning changes, but it is setting the groundwork for zoning changes – isn’t the planning department not being transparent?

The General Plan does not automatically change any zoning or other regulations. Implementation of its policies and actions will rely on several tools over the coming decades.

Thrive Montgomery 2050 will be implemented through zoning changes like zoning text amendments identified by future plans and studies and other changes to county regulations and ordinances. Thrive also clearly identifies possible areas of zoning changes to explore in the future.

News

Montgomery Planning wins two awards from the American Planning Association National Capital Area Chapter for Thrive Montgomery 2050 equitable engagement efforts and for Planning Director Gwen Wright’s Leadership in Planning

Montgomery Planning wins two awards from the American Planning Association National Capital Area Chapter for Thrive Montgomery 2050 equitable engagement efforts and for Planning Director Gwen Wright’s Leadership in Planning
Wheaton, MD – Montgomery Planning, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commi...
Montgomery Planning appreciates the work of the County Council consultant-led study on Thrive Montgomery 2050 and notes it confirms widespread support for Thrive’s policies

Montgomery Planning appreciates the work of the County Council consultant-led study on Thrive Montgomery 2050 and notes it confirms widespread support for Thrive’s policies
WHEATON, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital...
Montgomery Planning to hold “Housing Day” on June 14 on social media as part of National Homeownership Month

Montgomery Planning to hold “Housing Day” on June 14 on social media as part of National Homeownership Month
Join the discussion on Twitter and Facebook on the future of Montgomery County’s housing and engag...

Last Updated: August 22, 2023

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Montgomery County
Planning Department
2425 Reedie Drive, 14th Floor
Wheaton, MD 20902

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