PROJECT Branch Avenue Transit Corridor Revitalization Plan
LOCATION Prince George's County, Maryland,
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 1/24/2013
ARCHITECT Cunningham | Quill Architects
ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT
OWNER/CLIENT Prince George's County Planning Department, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
CONTRACTOR N/A
PHOTOGRAPHER
N/A
DESIGN TEAM
Lee Quill, FAIA, CNU; Ana Baker, AIA, LEED-AP; James Malone, AIA; Nandor Mitrocsak, AIA
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:
The project is focused on primarily suburban communities in transition along the Branch Avenue (MD Rt. 5) corridor between the Terminal Blue Line Metro Station and Southern Maryland Hospital in Prince George’s County, Maryland. These communities, and their existing commercial centers, share common opportunities and constraints and are part of an important commuter corridor. Future BRAC growth at the adjacent Air Force Base, the planned expansion of services and medical office space at Southern Maryland Hospital, and a planned BRT transit line on the corridor, create opportunities for reshaping growth and revitalization within existing communities along the corridor. The new station area plans provide a strategic framework for redeveloping and retrofitting aging strip retail centers into moderate density compact mixed-use, pedestrian friendly transit-oriented places, each with a unique identity and sense of place, informed by the communities they serve. The corridor is broken down into several station plan focus areas: an aging commercial area on Allentown Road adjacent to the Air Force Base’s official redevelopment areas’ new pedestrian and shuttle entrance; Camp Springs – the historic former agricultural center of the area; Coventry Way – an older suburban neighborhood shopping and auto repair/ industrial center; Woodyard Road – one fading and one more recent late 20th century regional shopping area; and Southern Maryland Hospital – an expanding regional medical center. Each location possesses their own character, providing a foundation for shaping the future growth of each new station plan. Redevelopment and revitalization recommendations by the urban design team (generated through intense research, study and an extensive public outreach and community engagement process of close to 20 community and stakeholder meetings) include: encouraging a mix of uses at key locations to create vibrant places with a range of quality housing; expanded job opportunities and better retail options; concentrating neighborhood-serving retail in appropriate locations around transit and repurposing obsolete commercial buildings to better serve the community’s needs; ensuring that new development is well-designed to complement and enhance nearby neighborhoods; and reducing reliance on automobiles by providing enhanced and expanded access to transit, wide pedestrian sidewalks, trails, and a bike network in order to create better connectivity and a healthier environment. Additional recommendations include creating a gridded system of walkable streets with short block lengths to improve access to neighborhoods in each station area; building new community facilities and activity centers; creating a green network of streetscapes, central gathering spaces - village greens and regreening natural areas that enhance the public realm, expanding recreational opportunities that preserve valuable open space; providing a range of housing types and affordability to attract a diverse population and encourage transit ridership; and providing new business and housing opportunities to capitalize on the presence of the base.
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1 © Urban Advantage; © Cunningham | Quill Architects
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IMAGE 3 © Urban Advantage; © Cunningham | Quill Architects
IMAGE 4 © Urban Advantage; © Cunningham | Quill Architects
IMAGE 5 © Urban Advantage; © Cunningham | Quill Architects
IMAGE 6 © Urban Advantage; © Cunningham | Quill Architects
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Media For Download
Project PDF
Branch Avenue Transit Corridor Revitalization Plan
Category
AIA Potomac Valley > Urban Design & Master Planning (AIA Potomac Valley)
Winner Status
- Honor Award
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