Regional Development Task Force


Mission Statement:

 

Create a regional vision for Greater Washington’s growth and development, influencing the policy and practice of development throughout the region for an increasingly healthy economy and a higher living standard.

Goals:

 

  • Enhance regional prosperity by fostering growth patterns that support new economic development in existing and planned job centers in order to improve the region’s quality of life.
  • Generate growth policies that encourage mixed-use, compact development, transit-oriented development that uses available infrastructure and create places and spaces that function well, attract investment, feature good urban design with adequate open space, parklands and other recreational opportunities, and serve their people, both residents and businesses. Ensure a full range of housing choices at both high-density transit served sites and at suburban large lot sites.
  • Achieve the implementation of multi-disciplinary practices and techniques that holistically address land use, transportation, housing opportunity and environmental preservation.

Deliverables:


  • Examine noteworthy, successful, mixed-use developments and communities across the region and nationwide and determine the common best practices, techniques and common elements that have led to such model developments. To carry out this purpose, the task force will host discussions sessions of private sector, development business leaders and government officials, both elected and appointed.
  • Recommend specific priority public policies, such as tax incentives, regulatory improvements and open space and historic preservation measures for the Board of Trade to advocate before appropriate governing bodies at the various levels of government.
  • Develop a vision-planning process to portray alternative regional growth scenarios as a guide for policy-makers.

Regional Development Task Force Roster

2006 Activities

In 2006 and beyond support the regional vision of Reality Check and the efforts of the emerging “Reality Check Vision Project” by doing the following:

  • Identify needs, develop and advocate local / state legislation in order to advance regional development goals using the expertise of Board of Trade / RDTF members. Meet with BOT / RDTF member land use attorneys to identify opportunities / propose legislation for one or more jurisdictions (e.g. “jurisdiction neutral” principles that might help overcome NIMBY factors).
  • Help educate the public on the regional vision by hosting a conference on regional development, writing OpEd pieces or participating in media opportunities. Hold a fall conference or develop Washington Post Outlook piece to educate the public; engage PR/marketing experts from BOT membership to advise us on how to address/educate/prepare for NIMBY groups (e.g. community facilitator to address community needs for Square 54).
  • Advocate for specific TOD or other projects through letters, meetings with elected officials or testimony relying on RDTF members with local standing. Develop RDTF “advocacy teams.” (List of potential projects attached).
  • Develop economic impact data on specific TOD projects or regional vision scenarios through the assistance of the Greater Washington Initiative or the Council of Governments thereby providing a more reasoned debate on the issue at hand. Subject to availability of GWI and COG participation.

An Historic Perspective: Video Tracing Region’s Development Now Online. 

Debuted at the Potomac Conference's Winter 2006 Meeting, a video traces the history of Greater Washington’s development and inspires viewers to think strategically about how this region should plan for future growth. Produced by the Board of Trade, the four-minute video was narrated by Ray Suarez of PBS’s The Newshour with Jim Lehrer. Watch video


 

     

 

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Committee Members

  • Chair:

    Yolanda
    Cole

    Principal, Hickok Cole Architects

  • Chair:

    Matt
    Klein

    President, Akridge

Staff:

  • Greater Washington Initiative