King Farm, a 440-acre development in the D.C. suburbs, was designed to be the perfect transit-oriented development, with a light rail to be built later. Now, residents have decided they don't want the transit to ever be built.
It seems that even though King Farm was designed with a light rail right-of-way in mind, residents don't see the need for it, preferring to drive their cars. One resident formed the anti-transit group after realizing that the light rail would pass in front of her house, a fact that she claims she was never made aware of.
Kaid Benfield writes:
"...the thing is, we need the transit to make these big suburban developments work for the larger region's traffic and for the environment. King Farm is not an inner suburb. It's about 10 miles beyond the Capital Beltway [...] and 21.6 miles from NRDC's downtown DC office, according to Google Maps. There's a shuttle to the Metro station, another thing the developer did right, but that only helps if you're going where the Red Line goes, basically only south from the station since it's the end of the line.
For those who live, work or shop along its route, the Transitway will not only make it easier to reach the Metro (or to reach King Farm from the Metro) at more times during the day but also run along more of an east-west route, linking its customers to additional centers of employment and activity."
FULL STORY: Residents of award-winning, transit-oriented development say no to transit
North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
DC Suburban Light Rail Expansion Prompts Mixed-Use Development
The Purple Line’s expansion into Maryland suburbs in 2027 has spurred TOD along the line.
Seattle Area Developers Target Areas Around Light Rail Extension
The East Link line, which will connect Redmond and Bellevue to Seattle in 2025, is spurring transit-oriented development near future stations.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)