Placemaking

Generally, designated areas for drop off and pick up, ridesharing, and park-and-ride should be accommodated and easily accessible at transit stations. However, reserving space soley for those facilities on private parcels adjacent to the stations would be contradictory to the vision of LTO-C, which suggests higher-density development. Future development at these sites should prioritize pedestrian accessibility, bicycle facilities, and wayfinding. If parking is proposed for the development, spaces can be designated for park-and-ride or short-term pick up and drop off in conjunction with other uses. Strategies like these will ultimately depend on the willingness of private developers to redevelop their properties but can be achieved by incentivizing site plan approvals that incorporate new streets and connectivity improvements.

Public realm improvements can be used not only to enhance walkability, parking, and connectivity, but also to establish an authentic sense of place that reflects the cultural identity of the area. Creative placemaking with a cultural focus can be used to ensure that the Takoma/Langley Crossroads’ racial and ethnic diversity is retained or even highlighted through future TOD. In the near-term, the County can promote low-cost and temporary uses to build a collective vision for placemaking among stakeholders, developers, and local community members. Underutilized surface parking lots can be repurposed to pilot cultural festivals, live music concerts, pop-up plazas, and potentially even a dedicated space for informal food workers who serve the area. There may also be opportunities to expand the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Development Authority’s public art program, the Crossroads Farmers Market, and other existing placemaking efforts in the City of Takoma Park into the study area. These near-term placemaking strategies can be used to build collaborative relationships with the local community and demonstrate that preserving the international character of TLC is a priority for the County. For example, in 2019, Montgomery County worked with the Long Branch Business League and the Montgomery Housing Initiative to reimagine downtown Long Branch and celebrate the multiculturally diverse residential and retail populations in the neighborhood through a community festival. The week-long placemaking effort involved live music, food and retail stalls, arts and crafts, parklets, and the creation of a temporary civic green. Adopting a similar approach in TLC and prioritizing creative placemaking will be essential to ensuring the area’s cultural fabric is retained and celebrated as TOD proceeds. The County’s involvement and leadership in these types of placemaking interventions will help build needed relationships and trust within the community and ensure that future development reflects community vision.

The County can transition these low-cost, temporary strategies into more permanent placemaking efforts in the intermediate- and long-term by spearheading and supporting branding and marketing initiatives, signage, public art installations, recurring programming, and a community kitchen/facility for informal food business workers. Potential partners include Northern Gateway CDC, which is currently working with M-NCPPC through the International Corridor Strategic Placemaking through Arts and Cultural Education (SPACEs) project.