This document summarizes strategies for creating successful communities and a stronger region through activity centers. It identifies 6 place types and 4 opportunity types for targeted regional growth. Case studies of 3 activity centers - Rosslyn, Shirlington, and Columbia Pike Town Center - analyze their place and opportunity types, goals, and recommended strategies and tools. These include zoning interventions, public finance options, development incentives, and partnerships to achieve goals like maximizing market potential, adding parks and public space, encouraging mixed uses, and stabilizing and preserving land uses. The document advocates a regional approach to identifying common characteristics of activity centers to facilitate knowledge sharing between local governments.

1. Place + Opportunity
Strategies for Creating Great Communities and a Stronger Region
Mobility Lab | February 27, 2014

2. Which attributes make a
community successful?
2

3. Civic /
Multimodal Transportation
Cultural
Facilities
Parking Options
Public
Spaces/Parks
Urban
Walkable
CharacterStreets

4. Diverse
Housing
Types
Infrastructure
Investments
Higher
Education
Anchor
Employer

5. Multi-Modal
Transportation
Choices

6. What Are Activity Centers?
Places targeted for regional growth
Urban & suburban centers, traditional
towns, emerging communities
Consistent with local planning
Mixed-use
Aligned with existing &
planned transportation network
6

7. Why do Activity Centers Matter?
Strong
Strong
Activity Transportation
Centers
Network
7

8. 8

9. Finding (& Sharing) What Works
•
Regional perspective: Activity Centers with
common characteristics can benefit from
similar strategies
•
Creates “common playbook”
•
Facilitates regional knowledge-sharing—local
governments can learn from each other
9

10. Report Overview
2/3 of Centers Analyzed
Place
Types
Opportunity
Types
Goals
Goals
Strategies
Strategies
Tools
Tools
10

11. 6 Place Types
Urban Center
Dense Mixed-Use
Suburban Multi-Use
Downtown DC
Reston Town Center
Falls Church
Close-in & Urbanizing
Revitalizing Urban
Satellite City
West Hyattsville
Minnesota Avenue
Downtown Frederick
11

12. 4 Opportunity Types
Transforming
Poplar Point
Connected Core
Clarendon
Transitioning
Wheaton
Stable
King Farm
12

13. Example:
Rosslyn
Photo: washingtonpost.com
13

14. Rosslyn:
Types
Goals
Maximize Market Potential
Urban Center
Add Parks & Public Space
Connected Core
Center
Expand Affordability
14

15. Rosslyn: Strategies & Tools
Zoning Intervention
Public Finance Options
• Minimum densities
• Design guidelines to
improve pedestrian
environment
• Require additional
open space
• Tax increment
finance
• Tax abatements/
credits
Affordable Housing
Development
• Enhance inclusionary zoning
policies
• Density bonuses for
additional units
• Expedited permitting,
streamlined development
review for affordable
projects
Housing Stock
Diversification
• Universal design
modification
• Employer-assisted
housing
15

16. Example:
Shirlington
16
Photo: Assemblyrow.com

17. Shirlington:
Types
Goals
Add Parks & Public Space
Dense Mixed-Use
Center
Encourage Additional
Mix of Uses
Stable Center
Leverage Existing Assets
17

18. Shirlington: Strategies & Tools
Public Private Partnership
Development Incentives
• Land swaps/donations
• Joint development/
development assistance
• Density bonuses
• Reduced impact fees
• Transfer of Development
Rights (TDR)
Commercial & Job
Diversification
• Identify retail & services gaps
• Temporary/pilot/ flexible
businesses, e.g. food trucks,
pop-ups
Business Retention &
Promotion
• Revolving micro-loan fund
• Façade improvements
18

19. Example: Columbia Pike
Town Center
19
Photo: bettercities.net

20. Columbia Pike Town Center:
Types
Goals
Close-In &
Urbanizing Center
Create New/Strengthen
Existing Land Uses
Create Stronger Brand/Image
Transforming
Center
Stabilize & Preserve
20

21. Columbia Pike Town Center:
Strategies & Tools
Development Incentives
• Prioritize catalyst
projects
• Land banking
• Density bonuses
• Reduced impact fees
Develop Stewardship
Entities
• Special services district
• Business improvement
district (BID)
• Catalytic development
entity (CDE)
Affordable Housing
Preservation
• Long-term affordability
covenants
• Shared-equity
homeownership
• Just-cause eviction
controls
Public-Private
Partnerships
• Land swaps/donations
• Joint development/
development assistance
Business Retention &
Promotion
• Revolving micro-loan fund
• Technical assistance for
small-/locally-owned
businesses
• Façade improvements
• Local hiring & contracting
provisions
21

22. Digging into urban form:
Columbia Pike Town Center
URBAN
FABRIC
DESTINATIONS
LIVELINESS
& UPKEEP
COMFORT
22

23. Digging into urban form:
Columbia Pike Town Center
HARDEST TO CHANGE
EASIEST TO CHANGE
(LOWEST-HANGING FRUIT)
23

24. Digging into urban form:
Columbia Pike Town Center
LOW-SCORING
(NEEDS)
HIGH-SCORING
(ASSETS)
24

25. Digging into urban form:
Columbia Pike Town Center
•
Place need = Proximity
 Proximity strategies:
• Charrette to identify community needs
• New walkable destinations – markets,
gathering places, etc.
• Temporary/flexible programming – food
trucks, farmers markets, public events
25

26. Digging into urban form:
Columbia Pike Town Center
•
Place need = Parks & Public Spaces
 Parks & Public Spaces strategies:
• ID locations for new parks/public spaces
• Public-private partnerships to develop
quasi-public spaces
• Better programming/upkeep of existing
parks & public spaces
26

27. Report available at www.regionforward.org/reports
Ryan Hand rhand@mwcog.org | Sophie Mintier smintier@mwcog.org