SILVER SPRING, MD – Much of the recent development in Montgomery County has taken the form of urban infill, with growth occurring in existing commercial areas or neighborhoods. To gain another perspective on how to make infill work in Montgomery County, the Planning Board has invited a Baltimore urban design planner to present on Thursday, December 3 as part of its 2009 Growing Smarter Speaker Series.
Matt D’Amico, a Baltimore-based planner and urban designer with over 20 years experience preparing master plans and urban design guidelines, will provide an overview of successful development projects. His examples range from commercial to residential development, from large to small, with an emphasis on good urban design.
The projects on which D’Amico has worked – a 6 million square foot mixed-use development in Baltimore; a master plan for 10 million square feet of mixed use in Columbia; a downtown plan for Providence, Rhode Island; and a master plan to transform historic and abandoned tobacco warehouses in Winston Salem into a 3 million square-foot mixed-use district – provide solutions to some of the same challenges facing Montgomery County. Planners and the Planning Board have grappled with how to guide new infill development so that it supports existing uses, blends with adjacent building types, remains compatible with area density, and fits well within street patterns and traffic circulation.
D’Amico, principal and lead planner/urban designer with Design Collective, will amplify his presentation with examples that illustrate planning and design strategies that balance the needs of residents with policy objectives and developer goals.
In addition to writing plans, D’Amico has run public design charrettes and other participatory approaches to involve residents. In fact, he led week-long design charrettes for both the Shady Grove and Twinbrook master plans – both approved in the last few years – and is credited with engaging area residents and other stakeholders to determine what was most important in their communities.
D’Amico is the last of a series of monthly speakers to present before the Board this year. Continuing education credits have been approved for AICP members.
Who:
Montgomery County Planning Board
What:
Matt D’Amico presenting “Infill Development that Works”
When:
7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 3
Where:
Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium
8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
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