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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Smart Growth, Dumb State (Guess Which One)

THE STATE OF Maryland boasts mightily about its Transit Oriented Development (TOD) programs. Just don’t bother looking for much in the way of tangible results.

“Maryland has great TOD potential” brags the state on its transportation website. Dig a little deeper, though, and it turns into wishful thinking, not boots-on-the-ground achievements.

TODs are the ultimate in Smart Growth.

They turn transit stations into job-centered areas of dense, walkable neighborhoods in both cities and suburbs. Other towns, like Seattle and Denver, offer examples of how to do it. (For more on the potential of “transit villages” in Maryland, see my 2006 Goldseker Foundation report – “Five Years, Fifty Thousand Jobs,” page 13.)

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3 comments:

Sean said...

This article concludes that the state, although right in their policy, has been a poor executor. Smart growth is still an excellent policy.

Perhaps a more accurate title should be "Local Governments Make Up for Poor Execution of Maryland's Own Policy".

Anonymous said...

Just another headline for otaxie's resume when he tries to run for president.

Anonymous said...

Or Sean how about " local governments resist Maryland's agenda 21 plans. Smart growth is just Agenda 21 with a fancy name. I encourage you to research the negative implications with an open mind.