How does Thrive Montgomery 2050 fit with the Minor Master Plan process?

Source: Montgomery County Planning and the City of Takoma Park 

The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment is not a stand-alone planning effort. It, and all other county master plans, sector plans, and minor master plans, are required to align with and advance the goals of the county’s own General Plan: Thrive Montgomery 2050.

Thrive Montgomery 2050 is a wide-ranging update to the county’s General Plan—the policy document that envisions what the future of Montgomery County could look like, with considerations for housing, transportation, economic development, natural resource preservation and conservation, climate impacts, cultural resources, and social justice. 

As the first update to the General Plan in nearly 60 years, Thrive Montgomery 2050 gives the county (and the city) a clear path forward: to create places where we can increase accessible housing, improve transit, and strengthen businesses together in equitable, sustainable ways. The plan was approved by the Planning Board on April 8, 2021, and approved by the Montgomery County Council on October 25, 2022.

Key recommendations from Thrive Montgomery 2050:

• Focus on growth in downtowns, activity centers, and along key corridors—with amenities serving existing and new residents while preserving our open spaces;
• Prioritize racial equity and economic competitiveness—throughout the county and especially in East County;
• Emphasize walking, biking, and transit—to reduce car traffic, minimize emissions, and keep everyone safe in their travels;
• Embed social connections and public health into our land use planning—because thriving depends on more than just new development;
• Enhance public and private spaces alike with arts and culture—because quality of place is integral to quality of life, as well as shared economic health;
• Target place-based environmental sustainability and resilience—so growth happens in already-dense places and the Agricultural Reserve and parkland remain protected for future generations.

Thrive Montgomery 2050 Outcomes

Racial equity and social justice:

Advancing racial equity through just planning policies and public investments in underserved communities, promoting the racial and economic integration of neighborhoods, and focusing on the potential for the design of communities to help build social trust and inclusion while encouraging civic participation are among the most significant elements of Thrive Montgomery 2050. Thrive Montgomery 2050 strives to create racially integrated and just communities.

Environmental resilience:

Thrive Montgomery’s focus on a compact form of development with a mix of uses supported by transportation systems that make alternatives to driving practical and attractive are essential pieces of any comprehensive strategy to fight climate change. A stronger focus on walking, biking, and transit infrastructure will be crucial, but the significance of mixed uses and compact development in reducing driving is equally important. The environmental benefits of dense, walkable neighborhoods dovetail with the increasing preference across age groups to live in walkable places served by a mix of uses and amenities.

Economic competitiveness:

We want to strengthen our economic competitiveness by creating the kind of places where people with diverse choices want to live and work. Its recommendations for land use, transportation, parks, and other public and private infrastructure lay the groundwork for economic development initiatives undertaken by other entities. Different skill and education levels and linguistic, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds infuse the local economy with the varied pool of skills, experiences, and perspectives necessary to solve problems and innovate. The Plan’s compact land use pattern and walkable communities supported by an efficient transit network will connect the county’s diverse population to economic opportunities.

Implementation

Thrive Montgomery 2050 establishes a framework for responding to economic, demographic, social, and environmental change in ways that are rooted in enduring lessons about what has made places successful in the past, while remaining adaptable to unforeseen circumstances. Implementing the vision laid out in this plan is important to achieving the plan’s key outcomes.

The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment is required to robustly address the goals of Thrive Montgomery 2050. County planning staff have used its framework to guide the analysis and recommendations within the Minor Master Plan, and the County Planning Board will use the same framework to evaluate different facets of the plan during their upcoming work sessions. 

To learn more about what’s included in Thrive Montgomery 2050, check it out online: https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/master-plan-list/general-plans/thrive-montgomery-2050/.