15 Minute Neighborhoods in College Park, Maryland

Abstract

The Department of Planning and Community Development in the City of College Park, Maryland is exploring the concept of a 15 Minute City to facilitate the creation of amenity-rich, easily accessible neighborhoods throughout the community. A 15 Minute City is an urban planning concept used to describe a city in which amenities and services - such as retail, education, social services, recreation, employment, and other needs - may be easily accessed within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or commute by public transport from any point in the city. The urban fabrics of such cities incorporate a wide range of mixed-use developments, bike and pedestrian-friendly streets and paths, easily accessible public spaces, public transportation, and other interventions to create relatively denser, walkable, livable neighborhoods. The goal is to create neighborhoods in which residents, particularly residents for whom mobility may be restricted due to cost, disability, time, and other constraints, may satisfy their everyday needs within their existing neighborhoods. 15 Minute Cities are posited to increase equity by making accessible amenities and services within neighborhoods, reduce car-dependency, promote sustainability, healthy lifestyles, and aging in place, improve social relations, and generally improve the quality of life within communities. In partnership with the Department of Planning and Community Development, student planners in the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation investigated and provided recommendations on ways in which existing neighborhoods in College Park may be transformed into 15 Minute Cities. The project was conducted during Spring Semester 2024 as part of the graduate-level URSP673 Community Development course, under the guidance of Dr. Riem ElZoghbi.