Montgomery County Planning defines it as:

As the Congress for the New Urbanism puts it, “The ‘15-minute city’ may be defined as an ideal geography where most human needs and many desires are located within a travel distance of 15 minutes. While automobiles may be accommodated in the 15-minute city, they cannot determine its scale or urban form.”

Source: https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/master-plan-list/general-plans/thrive-montgomery-2050/complete-communities/#:~:text=As%20the%20Congress%20for%20the,its%20scale%20or%20urban%20form.%E2%80%9D

The United Nations

Source: http://unfccc.int/news/the-15-minute-city

The World Economic Forum

Source: https://intelligence.weforum.org/monitor/latest-knowledge/8d496bec33e74bd9b0e0eaf99b9a1f8f

15 minute city was proposed in Oxford, England

Sure, in the controversial Thrive MoCo 2050 plan:

https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Item10_Attachment-1-Working-Draft-Plan-Thrive-Montgomery-2050-final.pdf

Some excerpts:

"As the county is running out of vacant land to support a low-density sprawl, our car-oriented transportation network is not designed to support a competitive economy in compact and Complete Communities with 15-minute living nor address the needs of households who cannot afford or do not want to own a car. The current pattern will continue to increase our transportation related greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts to sustainability." Page 22

"The goal is to create Complete Communities that are diverse and can provide most essential services within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or drive. The Plan calls it 15-minute living." Page 32

"The idea of Complete Communities with 15-minute living is the land use answer to many of the issues we are facing today including the racial and economic segregation of our communities, housing affordability, and increased greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle miles traveled. " Page 32

"Vision for Safe and Efficient Travel       

 In 2050, Montgomery County’s high quality transportation system plays a critical role in supporting the county’s economic health, environmental resilience, and equity. County residents shifted from heavy reliance on private vehicles to walking, bicycling, and public transit. This safe, reliable, and efficient transit network is composed of Metrorail, Purple Line, commuter rail, bus rapid transit (BRT) and regional and local buses, and a robust network of sidewalks, bikeways, and trails. A large majority of people use the system to connect to their destinations within the county and the region. Technologies such as micromobility, autonomous vehicles, and ridesharing offer new options for transportation. Some of this technology increases transit ridership by making it easier for people to connect to rail or BRT. Major roadways are transformed into safe and attractive boulevards with reduced speeds, frequent safe crossings, trees and dedicated lanes for transit. Walkways and 8 County Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, 2018. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/green/climate/ghg-inventory.html Working Draft Plan- Thrive Montgomery 2050 74 bikeways, as well as crossings are safe enough to allow children to walk and bike to nearby schools. In major commercial centers, downtowns and town centers, a dense mix of land uses, slow motor vehicle speeds and high quality walkways and bikeways make walking, bicycling, rolling and micromobility the preferred modes of travel. All greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are eliminated from the transportation system thanks to the significant reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and the conversion of all motorized vehicles to renewable energy." Page 73 

That makes sense, however The Montgomery County Council and Planning Board don't share that vision. In a 15-minute-city, most human needs are met within a 15 minute walk, and private vehicles are limited to accommodate that. 

Actually, it's going to change a lot of things. It's a step towards this 15 minute city, along with bills that the Montgomery County Council is trying to pass, such as More Housing NOW (20 year tax abatement for developers) and Workforce Housing.

Zoning laws, although very technical, are extremely powerful.

Carwash on the way to Torah School was shut down by Montgomery County Council:
The carwash on Georgia and Seminary rd was shut down for bicycle and pedestrian safety

Source: https://mdot-sha-md97-md390-to-md192-mo2242115-maryland.hub.arcgis.com/

House of worship taken by Montgomery County (they exercised eminent domain):

Old School Building

            Takoma Park Montgomery County, MD

            Initial Offer: $500,000

            Final Award: $2,000,000

MNCPPC condemned the old school building to create a neighborhood park. The building was owned and being used by a church group and MNCPPC took it over

Yes, they are required to do community outreach. You can mention your frustration/outrage when you call/email them.

Many people feel the same way.

It's hard for the community to understand, but easy for developers.

Bottom line is that Thrive Moco 2050 is a plan that was passed unbeknownst to constituents, and it stated Montgomery County's plans to turn our neighborhood into a 15 minute city. Now, the Univ. Blvd. Corridor Plan and More Housing NOW are trying to actualize these plans through incentivizing developers, and we have a slim opportunity to stop it.

Ask your rabbi what the appropriate action steps are!

The Planning Board is a governmental agency that was appointed by the Montgomery County Council to develop Kemp Mill. Here is a recent blog post from them:

Cooling Montgomery County’s corridors

Posted: 1:24 pm April 8, 2025 by the third place

By Montgomery Planning Staff

Residents who walk, ride bikes, and wait for buses along busy roads in the Washington, DC region more often feel the unhealthy effects of traffic-related air pollution and blistering summer days.

Asphalt roads and parking lots, as well as concrete sidewalks, absorb the sun, creating “heat islands” with higher temperatures. A 2022 heat mapping study of Montgomery County found that these areas reached up to ten degrees hotter than rural areas.

As Montgomery Planning Environmental Planner Steve Findley explained: “Obviously, anybody who is outside a vehicle – anybody who is walking, biking or rolling along the corridor or waiting for transit – is going to be exposed to these heat island impacts.”

This seemingly complex problem has a simple solution: Trees.

The ‘cool corridor’ concept

By significantly expanding tree canopy along major transportation corridors, we can make those areas and surrounding communities cooler, greener, healthier, and more resilient. With more trees, they become “cool corridors.”

The University Boulevard Corridor Plan covering a 3.5-mile stretch of University Boulevard between the Capital Beltway (I-495) and Amherst Avenue (just east of Georgia Avenue) is the first to include “cool corridor” recommendations. These ideas will be explored for other major transportation corridors when they are studied for potential improvements, especially because these are areas that have the infrastructure to accommodate future development.

A “cool corridor” would have ample shade for people waiting at bus stops, as well as for children walking to school. It also would have more trees in parking lots, both for shade and to help absorb and control stormwater that can cause flooding and send warm, dirty water into nearby streams.

As we feel the heat more in hotter months due to climate change, the shade from additional trees can create a healthier community. According to the National Weather Service, heat sickens and kills more people than any other weather-related event. In communities such as along University Boulevard, with numerous schools and other community destinations, simple improvements like trees can have a profound effect.

In addition to providing shade, trees help clean the air because leaves and branches “catch” the fine particulate matter from vehicle exhaust, according to the National Park Service. These tiny, toxic particles that can get into people’s lungs and blood streams have been linked to asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Improving health and safety

Beyond health benefits, roadside trees and shrubs can provide a green buffer between cars and buses and people walking or bicycling alongside, making it safer, more comfortable and pleasant to forgo driving. Of course, the more people who skip the drive, the better it is for the environment.

It’s part of how we’re working to remake these corridors into vibrant, sustainable communities. More trees would reflect priorities in the county’s Climate Action Plan and the environmental priorities in our General Plan, called Thrive Montgomery 2050.

Moreover, “cool corridors” would help the county reach its Vision Zero goal to eliminate fatal and serious-injury crashes by prioritizing pedestrians’ and cyclists’ safety in street designs. Roadside trees create a “perception of friction” that naturally causes drivers to slow down, Findley said.

“It’s almost like a Vision Double-Zero,” Findley said. “We’re eliminating and minimizing severe traffic injuries and deaths from vehicles but also minimizing sickness and injuries from the environmental impacts of the roadways themselves.” Achieving both goals also supports the County’s equity agenda.

Planting trees along the University Boulevard corridor will require creating road designs that provide adequate soil for trees to grow and choosing native tree species that can deal with the challenges of roadway environments. Investing in road designs to accommodate trees is as important as designing roads for traffic safety. Designing for trees and safety will pay dividends in improved health and well-being for those traveling through the corridor, as well as those who live in the larger Plan area.

Findley also points out, the benefits of a “cool corridor” along busy roads such as University Boulevard would reach into surrounding communities, just as heat islands raise temperatures far beyond roads today.

“Planting shade trees along University Boulevard,” Findley said, “will improve the conditions in the whole neighborhood.”

The University Boulevard Corridor Plan’s environmental recommendations are one part of the picture to improve the quality of life along this important roadway. The plan also suggests ways to make all modes of transportation safer and create more housing options.

You can read more about our recommendations and other aspects of the University Boulevard Corridor Plan in our Public Hearing draft. The Montgomery County Planning Board recently held a public hearing on the draft and will refine it during work sessions this spring before sending it to the County Council for consideration this summer. Sign up for email updates on the plan.

One Response to “Cooling Montgomery County’s corridors”

Eva Santorini

THANK YOU!

I really like the idea of cooling corridors! More trees, more grass or native ground covers, more permeable materials, more rain gardens! Soon you can begin research on planting milkweed for monarchs along our highways or at least native pollinator plants! Thank you – I really appreciate your bold and fearless actions!

April 25th, 2025

Source: https://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/2025/04/cooling-montgomery-countys-corridors/