Montgomery County, Maryland wants to put its zoning where its transit is—it's just the latest in a string of transit-oriented land use reforms for the famously suburban county.

"Two new [Montgomery County] bills would allow multifamily housing near Metro stations and protect renters in transit areas from price gouging," reports Briana Adhikusuma.
Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando is expected to propose zoning change to "allow multifamily housing on R-60-zoned residential property within a mile of a Metrorail station," according to Adhikusuma.
"The structures would have to be within the building height, lot coverage, setbacks, minimum lot size and minimum parking requirements allowed in an R-60 zone."
Moreover, additional flexibility will be offered within a half-mile of transit stations, including Missing Middle Housing options, according to the article. Jawando is calling the effort the "More Housing for More People" initiative. The Silver Spring Downtown Plan, as discussed in public hearings in the county during June of this year, also calls for Missing Middle Housing.
More Housing for More People would realign Montgomery County relative to the transit-oriented development incentives found in the counties around Washington, D.C. The effort is just the latest attempt at land use reform in the county. In October, the county council approved a tax incentive for high-rise developments on Metro station properties. In August of this year, the county ended a development moratorium, and in .
In addition to the zoning changes, Jawando is offering additional legislation "to protect renters against rent gouging in transit areas," reports Adhikusuma. More details on that legislation can be found in the source article.
Planetizen shared news this week of Montgomery County's work on a new general plan, called Thrive Montgomery 2050, which, still in early planning stages, calls for more priority on housing supply and Missing Middle Housing as affordability tools in addition to a new approach to the integration of land use and transportation planning.
FULL STORY: Multifamily zoning proposed near Metro stations

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

‘Mega-Landlords’ Threaten Housing Stability for Renters
As institutional investors buy up a larger share of single-family homes, the families renting them are increasingly vulnerable to rent increases and eviction.

How To Sustain the E-Bike Boom: Make Riders Feel Safe
Riders of electric and non-electric bikes alike agree that they would ride more if they felt safer on city streets, signaling a need for an increased focus on bike infrastructure.

Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.

Mixed Use Could Lower Neighborhood Crime Rates
New research shows areas with a heavy concentration of commercial offices experience 40 percent higher crime rates than neighborhoods that mix residential and commercial uses.
City & Borough of Juneau
City & Borough of Juneau
DMR Architects
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.