Just outside of D.C., the Capitol Heights Metro station sits among empty parcels with brown grass and tall weeds, as the economic development that was to accompany the station never materialized. Will a proposed Wall-Mart come to the area's rescue?
Luz Lazo profiles the plight of Capitol Heights, in Prince George's County, Maryland, where "[t]he aging single-family homes and auto-repair shops just steps from the
station are signs of how little Metro has brought to the town."
With planners unable to leverage the Metro station, which opened in 1980, to catalyze development, plans to build a Wal-Mart, along with office, retail and residential space, on a 10-parcel just across the border in D.C. are raising hopes for the long-delayed boom.
"For years," says Lazo, "county and local officials have talked about such plans for
mixed-use development in Capitol Heights. None has materialized. The
area's lower income levels and its reputation as a hub for crime have made it harder to attract developers."
"'In Prince George's County, when you leave the Metro station, you go
into a parking lot, whereas in other counties, you go straight into a
shopping center,' said James Wright, a daily Metro user who lives in
nearby Seat Pleasant and is president of the Seat Pleasant Citizens
Association. 'People are kind of tired of being relegated to
second-class status in terms of economic development projects.'"
FULL STORY: In Capitol Heights, little change in spite of ‘a whole lot of planning’ around the Metro
'Transit-Oriented Communities': A New Agenda For L.A. Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is implementing a new vision for "transit-oriented communities."
Too Much TOD Set to Strain D.C.'s Subway
New development is poised to add thousands of riders to D.C.'s Metro, but rush hour trains are often packed already. Though Metro has proposed $6 billion in fixes, some see better land use planning across the area as the key to solving the problem.
Dream of Suburban D.C. Light Rail a Nightmare to Local Residents
At an open house organized to update the public on plans to build a 16-mile light rail line linking spurs of D.C.'s subway system in suburban Maryland, planners' visions of smart growth where seen as a developer-driven nightmare by local residents.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
Opinion: Transit Agencies Must View Service Cuts as Last Resort
Reducing service could cripple transit systems by pushing more riders to consider car ownership, making future recovery even less certain.
‘Smart Surfaces’ Policy Guide Offers Advice for Building and Maintaining Urban Tree Canopies
Healthy, robust tree canopies can reduce the impacts of extreme heat and improve air quality.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service