Posts by Rollin Stanley — Guest Contributor
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Wedges & Corridors: The country’s first sustainable growth plan?
The biggest determinant for carrying the Wedges & Corridors vision into the future is land. We are not making any more of it and, in fact, we have restricted its availability by placing a growth boundary, the Ag Reserve, around the top third of the County. Keep reading…
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“Wedges and Corridors” still shapes Montgomery
Wedges and Corridors is the name of Montgomery County’s governing master plan. While it was updated in 1992, the basic framework is the same. Revered by many, forgotten by few who were active during that time, the General Plan, as it is also known, has stood the test of time. It is important to put this landmark Wedges & Corridors Plan in context. It was developed in the… Keep reading…
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Crosswalks: Is it time for a rethink?
Montgomery County’s built environment runs the gamut from urban to rural, but we take a one size fits all approach to crosswalks. Maybe it’s time for that to change. Bringing the pedestrian scramble back to MoCo will improve our urban areas. Part of what we are trying to accomplish with our visions for communities throughout MoCo is a blend of the best urban, suburban… Keep reading…
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Does redevelopment along transit have to be 18 floors?
Last Friday, I spoke to the Bethesda Chamber of Commerce. My interest spiked when I heard the first speaker, a visiting fellow in Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy program, criticize the Planning Department. In his opinion, we were not maximizing the opportunity presented by the Purple Line in Chevy Chase Lake. Specifically, he referred to the Chevy Chase Land Company’s holdings… Keep reading…
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White Flint’s “Berlin Wall” will hamper White Flint II
Development in the White Flint area is getting underway. After completing a number of other Sector Plans for other areas of Montgomery County, next year the Planning Department will begin studying White Flint II, covering areas north, east, and west of the adopted White Flint Sector Plan. In some cases, the street grid and walkable development can just spread into surrounding… Keep reading…
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White Flint interchange could have been a great place
Last week, I was invited to Boston by the Federal Highway Administration to talk about livability. Five years ago, would anyone have thought that would be possible? Less than 1% of the $30 billion-plus spent on highway funding is currently spent on pedestrians. It seems like a huge ship we have to turn around. However, federal leadership through the EPA, HUD, DOT, and their… Keep reading…