sub+URBAN retrofitting: sustainable growth for the polycentric metropolis

Abstract

This thesis intends to examine the creation of community centered around the suburban nodes that are created through Smart Growth and transit oriented development. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority provides an integral service in the form of public transportation to a large and overburdened auto-oriented transportation region. By using the existing metro stops within the system, development can leverage infrastructure in the creation of urban and suburban regional activity centers. The areas examined, exist across many zones of the Urban Transect, but the focus will remain on those areas prime for suburban retrofitting or greyfield redevelopment, specifically located in Montgomery County, MD. The project is a demonstration of growth in Wheaton, Maryland that could be achieved by combining the benefits of both suburban and urban ideals to attract a creative working class that lives, works, and plays in the multiple urban nodes of the polycentric metropolis.