The Next Washington

How Do We Make Room for More People and More Cars?

We face challenges with traffic, housing costs, loss of farms and forests, and the decline of streams and the Chesapeake Bay. Add to this the most costly land-use decision in our region's history: the shift of thousands of Defense Department jobs away from transit-dependent to auto-dependent locations. But $4 for a gallon of gasoline could change everything, requiring us to plan more effectively for how we grow.

More of our population consists of retirees, empty nesters, young, creative singles and families. These groups increasingly seek to live near transit and where it is possible to walk, bicycle and take shorter car trips to schools, stores and work. Demand has pushed up prices in close-in suburbs and mixed-use centers such as Reston and Rockville. People have stood in line overnight to buy townhouses in the recovering downtown of Hyattsville.

Pedestrian-friendly towns and neighborhoods, development near transit stations, investments in public transportation-- all while protecting the environment: These are widely supported solutions to traffic congestion, the loss of green space and other challenges.

Citizens participating in the design process have created mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly plans for Columbia Pike in Arlington, the West Hyattsville Metro station area in Prince George's County and the Shady Grove Metro station area in Montgomery. Groups are fighting for affordable housing near jobs and transit for lower- and middle-income workers. Fairfax leaders are supporting an inclusive effort to redesign Tysons Corner. Residents of the eastern and western sections of Loudoun County are fighting to protect their rural landscape and economy, while pacing housing growth to remedy transportation and other service problems in the overwhelmed east.

Public support has made the "smart growth" strategy a priority for many politicians in Virginia, the District and Maryland. Higher energy and infrastructure costs will make it essential.

-- Stewart Schwartz

Washington

The writer is executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

stewart@smartergrowth.net