Posts by Dan Reed — Regional Policy Director
-
Music venues can and should engage the public realm
Music clubs can help revitalize neighborhoods, but too often, they do little to nothing to activate or engage street life, and instead wall themselves off from the activity around them. The Fillmore Silver Spring opened last month, and local music venues are voicing concern that the Live Nation-owned music hall could threaten promoters in the District and even Baltimore. Already,… Keep reading…
-
Arlington park shows that skaters can share public space
If you’re seeking a serene natural retreat, a skate park is probably the last place you would look. But a few years ago Arlington built a skate park that welcomes all visitors, not just those with skateboards. A few weeks ago, I visited Powhatan Springs Park, also known as the “skate park rain garden.” Designed by local architecture firms the Kerns Group and… Keep reading…
-
New storefronts aren’t enough to revitalize Burtonsville
Local businesses in Burtonsville are sporting new storefronts, thanks to a Montgomery County revitalization program. While the improvements go beyond “putting lipstick on a pig,” they don’t do enough to solve the underlying problems in Burtonsville’s struggling village center. The first set of new storefronts were recently installed in a retail… Keep reading…
-
A strip mall also becomes a community gathering spot
How do you turn a typical suburban strip mall into a vibrant gathering space? At one shopping center in Fairfax County, it’s done by making room for people in addition to cars. Heritage Center is a 1970s-era shopping strip off Little River Turnpike in Annandale, in an area dubbed “Koreatown” for its large Korean community. Like many retail complexes from this… Keep reading…
-
Some seek alternatives to proposed Montgomery curfew
A controversial curfew is proposed for teens in Montgomery County. Many community members are clamoring for something to be done about unruly teens, but the debate has also focused on alternatives. Last night, community members on both sides of County Executive’s proposed youth curfew spoke out at a contentious meeting hosted by the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory… Keep reading…
-
Can a commercial enterprise succeed if hidden from view?
Yesterday, we discussed the plan for Prince George’s County first Whole Foods store. Besides the inappropriate strip mall design, it also contains a huge “buffer” between the development and Route 1, which could fatally damage the ability for this area to be successful. Both the 2007 and 2008 versions of the project planned for a wooded buffer along Route… Keep reading…
-
More homebuyers want walkable, transit-served communities
New research shows that a growing number of homebuyers are interested in walkable, transit-served communities, and are willing to sacrifice a bigger house for a better neighborhood. Last night, Joe Molinaro, director of Smart Growth and Housing Opportunity at the National Association of Realtors, and Shyam Kannan, director of research at real estate consultancy RCLCO,… Keep reading…
-
Want a Whole Foods? Add residences, or face traffic
A mixed-use development right on Route 1 in Riverdale Park turned into a giant strip mall with a Whole Foods, after residents opposed the initial plan. But now residents fear the new plan will bring in too much traffic. If residents want a more sustainable growth pattern in the area, they need to help the county step away from its history of suburban sprawl, such as by supporting walkable… Keep reading…
-
A color-blind Montgomery County is still a myth
Supporters of Montgomery County’s proposed teen curfew say we shouldn’t worry about racial profiling. But in this newly majority-minority jurisdiction, race is the one thing we should be talking about. In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Montgomery County police officer Robert Carter explained that cops don’t see race: “I understand that some… Keep reading…
-
“Youth cafes” could provide social and learning spaces
Montgomery County’s proposed curfew and ongoing concerns about crime in Silver Spring have resurrected the age-old debate over how to keep young people occupied. County Councilmember Nancy Navarro (D-Colesville) and local non-profit IMPACT Silver Spring are trying out one solution, so-called “youth cafes” that provide an informal, supervised hangout… Keep reading…