Montgomery County Charts a New Path with 'Thrive 2050'

A new plan under development in Montgomery County, Maryland plots a course change for the famously suburban county.

2 minute read

December 8, 2020, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Montgomery County

Thrive Montgomery 2050 / Montgomery County Planning

Dan Reed reports on the Thrive Montgomery 2050 plan, which is accepting public feedback through December 2020. Here's how Reed summarizes the planning effort:

Over the past year, Montgomery County planners have been trying to find solutions, and put them together in Thrive 2050, an ambitious document for how the county should grow and change over the next thirty years. Thrive wouldn’t actually change laws or policies: Planning Board chairman Casey Anderson called it a “plan for other plans,” helping leaders make laws or policies in the future. The plan’s big themes include racial justice, affordable homes, and more transportation options.

According to the insights and historical background offered by Reed, the county has a history of quick growth, but planners will need a new approach than the one implemented by Harland Bartholomew in the 1960s to deal with the 200,000 people expected to move to the county in the next 20 years. The big idea of Thrive 2050 is to replace the old "Wedges and Corridors" approach of the 960s with a new "Complete Communities" approach that is, as you might expect, a local version on the 15-minute community model catching on around the world.

"Opening up single-family zoning to allow 'missing middle' homes, like duplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings, would give people more housing options that fit their budget and needs," explains Reed. "Building out the Bus Rapid Transit network Montgomery County approved in 2013 would give people an option for longer trips."

According to Reed, the Thrive 2050 plan has already provoked some passionate opponents, who fault the plan's vision of relaxed zoning restrictions in single-family neighborhoods.

Monday, December 7, 2020 in Greater Greater Washington

Black and white Rideshare Pick-Up Zone sign

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing

From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

June 1, 2023 - Human Transit

Red on white 'Room for Rent, Inquire Inside' sign

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living

Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

May 24, 2023 - The Atlantic

Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24, 2023 - GeekWire

Self-driving Mercedes semi truck on highway with white semi truck behind it

California Moves to Limit Autonomous Trucks

A bill passed by the State Assembly and moving on to the Senate would require autonomous semi trucks to have a trained human operator in the vehicle.

June 2 - The Sacramento Bee

Minnesota state capitol building with red flowers on green front lawn

Minnesota Budget Includes Significant Transit Investments

After a contentious debate, the state legislature passed a budget that changes how transportation projects are funded and supports increased transit service in the state.

June 2 - Governing

A vacant lot between two one-story brick buildings with graffiti in Detroit, Michigan

Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.

June 2 - The Detroit News

Project Manager III

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

UDO Transportation Planner

City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.