Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)

Transfer of development rights (TDR) programs allow farm owners to sell building rights for their property to developers in exchange for keeping their land undeveloped. This is an important tool in land preservation. Developers can use the development rights received from farmers to increase the number of homes they build in designated areas--called "receiving areas"--elsewhere in the county.

Success in Montgomery County, Maryland
TDRs have led to higher-density development in suburban areas of Montgomery County while helping to maintain the rural character of the county's 93,000 acre Agricultural Reserve. As economic pressure to develop increased, many farmers would have had to sell their land for development without the TDR program. According to John Zawitoski, who oversees preservation programs for Montgomery County's Department of Economic Development, more than 43,000 acres have been preserved through TDRs.


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