Prince George’s Plaza Transit District

Torti Gallas and Partners led a multidisciplinary team of urban planners, architects, economists and transportation specialists to create a vision for The Prince George’s Plaza Transit District for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The study area covers approximately 363 acres in northwestern Prince George’s County, just outside the boundary of the District of Columbia and surrounding the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Green Line Station and the Mall at Prince George’s.

The vision plan builds on the district’s two most powerful assets - the Metro Station and the Mall at Prince Georges. These assets provide components essential to a vibrant downtown – transit access and a high concentration of retail and commercial activity. The vision outlines an urban design and transportation framework that integrates these into a walkable structure of blocks and buildings that accommodate medium- to high-density development and create active, pedestrian-friendly streets. The vision also identifies strategies, development standards, and realistic implementation recommendations that will lead to the realization of the vision.

The vision was developed through a comprehensive public process which engaged a broad range of stakeholders, including local neighborhood and county residents, property owners, civic and community groups, and state, county and city officials. Active public participation included a facilitated, multi-day charrette, informational and interactive work sessions and meetings. Meaningful input and feedback ensured the plan addressed community concerns and created a vision with broad consensus.

Major near term transportation interventions include low cost/high impact improvements to East West Highway (MD 410) to establish it as a walkable urban thoroughfare; increasing safety and formalizing informal connections in the pedestrian network; and expanding bicycle facilities to leverage bicycle travel as an efficient, affordable, and quick means to reduce perceived distance by shrinking travel time between destinations within the transit district.