Patterns of Displacement and Low-Income Concentration In Montgomery County, Maryland
In this episode, we explore the findings of a recent study on Neighborhood Change in the Washington DC metropolitan region, with a focus on Montgomery County, Maryland. The research, conducted by the Montgomery County Planning Department, a part of the The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), found that the most pressing issue in the county is low-income concentration, rather than displacement. Additionally, the study revealed that new housing construction is associated with inclusive economic growth in diverse neighborhoods. This research was based on a methodology developed by the University of Minnesota and was advanced by the Research and Strategic Projects Division at Montgomery Planning. The findings were presented to the Montgomery County Planning Board on May 19, 2022, and an interactive map showing low-income concentration, inclusive growth, and displacement in the region is available on the department's website. The Purple Line Corridor Coalition’s Housing Action Plan also in place, and the department's long-term vision for the county, Thrive Montgomery 2050, is also discussed. Casey Anderson, the Montgomery County Planning Board Chair, Tanya Stern, Deputy Director and former DC planner, and Ben Kraft, a researcher at Montgomery Planning and the author of the neighborhood change analysis, provide insight on the study's key findings.
Casey Anderson
Montgomery County Planning Board Chair
Casey Anderson has served on the Montgomery County Planning Board since 2011 and was appointed Chair in 2014. He also serves as Chair of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the bi-county agency established by state law that regulates real estate development, plans transportation infrastructure, and manages the park systems in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. While on the Planning Board he:
• Conceived a market-oriented system for allocating development capacity in Downtown Bethesda to raise funds for urban parks, create incentives for construction of affordable housing and raise standards for design excellence.
• Proposed the idea of redeveloping the Apex Building site to facilitate construction of the Purple Line light rail station in downtown Bethesda and provide a new below-grade tunnel connection for the Capital Crescent Trail under Wisconsin Avenue. The proposal ultimately resulted in a minor master plan that in turn led to an ambitious mixed-use project (currently in development) that will incorporate the station and trail tunnel.
• Suggested measuring latent demand for bicycling accommodations to produce a heat map of the county, identifying the best places for investments in bike infrastructure. The Montgomery Planning transportation staff expanded the heat map concept into an award-winning digital Bicycle Stress Map, which identifies places where less experienced cyclists need safer routes if they are going to feel comfortable riding.
• Focused the Parks Department on acquisition and programming of urban parks. …
Read More
Ben Kraft
Montgomery Planning researcher, author of neighborhood change analysis
Ben Kraft is a research planner in the Research and Strategic Projects Division. His research and planning work focuses on topics related to the economy and employment. Ben has a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Georgia Tech and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan.
