For a long time, surface parking lots blanketed Maryland's Montgomery County. Developers and county officials now prioritize mixed-use infill with parking concealed underground.
As the affluent area grows more urban, Montgomery County looks forward to a decline in asphalt and concrete. "Many big public lots near shopping districts or public transportation hubs also happen to be on some of the most prime real estate in the county. Developers would rather turn them into something like The Flats at Bethesda, which will have restaurants, stores and upscale condos."
Some longtime parkers experienced separation anxiety. "When we closed the parking ... I didn't realize how many people had a personal reserved parking space in a public lot. So many came up and said 'You took my parking away. You took my space away.' But the end result is what was 300 surface parking spaces is now 960 underground parking spaces and what we hope people will appreciate as beautiful stuff above."
"Surface parking lots are becoming increasingly obsolete, says County Executive Isiah Leggett." Between less surface parking, more bikes, and declining VMT, Montgomery seems set to eventually wean itself off car dependence.
FULL STORY: Big Outdoor Parking Lots Look Like Something Else To Montgomery County
Des Moines Plans to Repurpose Downtown Parking Lots
City officials want to encourage the redevelopment of underused surface parking lots.
Houston Awarded $18.5M for Trail Linking Uptown and Memorial Park
The grant will make the freeway-bounded park more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Depave Paradise: Reclaiming Parking Lots for Park Space
The promoters of a new park hope to provide a model for how replacing surface parking lots with green space can mitigate urban heat and boost urban biodiversity.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service