We are sad to share that White Flint lost a friend and advocate suddenly this Monday. Blog readers will recognize Geordan Harris as the proud uncle of a baby almost born in Seasons 52 this March. Those more active in White Flint redevelopment know him as a member of the JBG team that brought us North Bethesda Market, Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar and the forthcoming North Bethesda Market 2.…
Read More
A recently published study in the Journal of Injury Prevention reveals that contrary to popular belief, cities are in many ways safer than rural areas. The researchers note that, “although variability among urban areas clearly exists, when urban areas were considered as a group, risk of serious injury resulting in death was approximately 20% lower than in the most rural areas of the country.” While the risk of homicide was greater in urban areas, many more people die more often from motor vehicle accidents: “the magnitude of homicide-related deaths, even in urban areas, is outweighed by the magnitude of unintentional injury deaths, particularly those resulting from motor vehicles.…
Read More
We’ve talked about the benefits of making White Flint more walkable, and less car-oriented, for several different populations: for young adults, for seniors, and for young families. Why not close the loop and show that this international trend does, in fact, benefit everyone?
The Atlantic Cities recently published a report highlighting how suburban sprawl is a factor contributing to childhood obesity.…
Read More
On Wednesday, the United States Postal Service held a meeting to gather input from the community on where the post office, currently located in White Flint Mall, will be. USPS currently has a lease with the mall, which ends on May 31, 2014. USPS was under the impression that Lerner, who owns White Flint Mall, would be happier if USPS vacated the mall sooner.…
Read More
The White Flint Implementation Advisory Committee held its monthly meeting before a packed crowd Monday night at the Shriver Aquatic Center in Wall Park. The main topic of discussion was the Metro Pike Center development at Rockville Pike and Marinelli Road, which we’ll talk about in more detail later this week.…
Read More
Last week we wrote a lot about why White Flint needs better bicycle infrastructure. Check out “10 Brilliant Pieces of Bike Infrastructure” from the Atlantic Cities for some inspiration on how to make streets more pleasant – and safer – for all users. Examples range from neat places to park your bike, to bike paths that go through museums.…
Read More
At the last Downtown Advisory Committee meeting we were told that the United States Postal Service would be holding a meeting in July to get input from the community on where the Kensington post office (currently at White Flint Mall) should be relocated. Now it is confirmed that USPS will host a community meeting on July 10 at 4: 30 p.m.…
Read More
I recently stumbled across a TEDx talk from last year on civic engagement entitled, “What Change Looks Like.” Jake Barton, principal and founder of the organization Local Projects, discussed the resilience and strength he finds in cities and wonders why it takes “a crisis for us to collaborate together on common goals.” He looks at the ubiquitous Community Meeting and asks how we can make them more productive — how we can be people talking with each other, rather than at each other.…
Read More
Paseo Nights Summer Concert Series returns for a second year to the plaza at North Bethesda Market. Every Thursday night until July 18th, enjoy live music from 6:30 – 8:30pm. Different bands will perform a variety of music, including:
June 20th: I & I Riddim, Reggae
June 27th: Lloyd Dobler Effect, Classic Rock
July 4th: Holly Montgomery Band, Country
July 11th: Rew Smith, Adult Contemporary
July 18th: Andrea Pais, Motown
The series finale will feature a Latin theme on July 25th and stretch from 5:30pm-9pm with five acts, including a DJ and dancing.…
Read More
Smart Growth America’s new report Building Better Budgets: A National Examination of the Fiscal Benefits of Smart Growth Development examines how land use decisions impact municipal finances. The three takeaways (taken directly from the Executive Summary) are:
1. In general, smart growth development costs one-third less for upfront infrastructure.
Our survey concluded that smart growth development saves an average of 38 percent on upfront costs for new construction of roads, sewers, water lines and other infrastructure.…
Read More