Montgomery County Planning Department

The recommended actions in our Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science further cement the county as one of the nation's premier places for the life sciences and biohealth industries to invest in lab space and centers of academia. The Life Sciences Center along the I-270 Corridor can be a destination with activated public spaces, neighborhood-serving retail and services, and a variety of housing that fits families needs and price points. We're so pleased the County Council approved the plan on July 30. We look forward to working with the community and our public- and private-sector partners to implement it in the years to come. Read our press release for more details: https://lnkd.in/eTMsbaDQ

Huge thanks to Bright MLS' Lisa Sturtevant and Urban Institute's Yonah Freemark for joining Chair Artie Harris for a great panel on July 18 to kick off the Planning Board's 2024 Speaker Series on the #housingcrisis. Watch the panel discussion on-demand: https://bit.ly/3ylpmm2 Check out the Speaker Series website for the full 2024 schedule and more: https://bit.ly/3ylpmm2

The Planning Board voted unanimously on July 18 to approve our recommended updates to the county's update to the Growth and Infrastructure Policy and send it to the County Council for review. Updated every four years, the GIP administers one of the most important functions our department and the Planning Board provide to the community – ensuring that public facilities, particularly schools and transportation infrastructure, are adequate to support new development, and that existing growth tools are equitable, fair, and effective. A key focus of the 2024-2028 GIP is ensuring it helps reach the goals established in Thrive Montgomery 2050 to increase housing options for all, improve transit, and strengthen the economy in equitable, sustainable ways. Visit the policy’s website (montgomeryplanning.org/gip) for more details on the update – the approved Planning Board Draft will be posted when it is transmitted to County Council by the end of July.

THIS THURSDAY is the Planning Board's first 2024 Speaker Series event, “Intersection: Land Use and Housing Supply, a National and Local Perspective," starting at 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Local land use regulations, such as zoning, are the most direct way that jurisdictions can regulate housing supply, but what else should planners be focusing on? What can planners do to increase housing supply? Join moderator, Planning Board Chair Artie Harris and panelists Yonah Freemark, Principal Research Associate at Urban Institute, and Lisa Sturtevant, Bright MLS Chief Economist, to hear about tools being used nationally to increase housing supply, and an analysis of the DC area housing market. Join in the conversation and get the full Speaker Series schedule: https://bit.ly/3XwnHob

July is Disability Pride Month to celebrate the passage of the ADA on July 26, 1990. When planning for the future, ensuring access for residents of all abilities is vital to the success of our communities. Our research staff briefed the Planning Board this week on our demographic report, People with Disabilities in Montgomery County. WATCH the July 8 Planning Board presentation: https://bit.ly/3S4BP4x READ the profile report: https://bit.ly/3N2OpyE

It's a huge problem that has no easy solution.... ...how to increase housing supply and decrease the crazy $$$ to live here. July 18: the Planning Board starts a series of free panel discussions with national and regional thought leaders. Join the talk: https://bit.ly/3XwnHob

Agreed! The County Council is reviewing our attainable housing recommendations - one of the ways we're collaborating with the county and the community to help ease the #housingcrisis. montgomeryplanning.org/ahs https://lnkd.in/evVX3JV7

It's become very difficult to find a home in Montgomery County that most people can afford and that fits their family's needs. The county is facing a serious housing shortage and is expected to add 200,000 more residents by 2050. We've developed new recommendations, called Attainable Housing Strategies, to add more types of housing in more areas of the county to give more people a chance to live here. The County Council is reviewing our proposal that the Planning Board approved last month. What are the recommendations all about and how will they help address the #housingshortage ? WATCH:

Save the dates! The Montgomery County Planning Board is sponsoring a three-part Speaker Series, “Housing Conversation: From Research to Reality,” to be held on July 18, September 19, and October 17.  Each session tackles innovations, trends, and lessons learned from the DC region and nationally for increasing housing production and affordability. All sessions are open to the public and will be held at The M-NCPPC's Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. They will also be livestreamed on the Planning Board Website and made available on-demand. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3XwnHob

Montgomery County lost population during the #COVID years. But new data show we're recovering. Our research staff took a closer look at what's going on for our latest Third Place blog. Check it out: https://bit.ly/4cvc70H