Category: Regional and Federal

Smart Growth Social 2025: Coming together for our community

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

In this pivotal time for our region, it is more important than ever that we come together to advance inclusive and sustainable communities grounded in democratic participation and a shared responsibility to care for one another.  

Smart Growth Social has always been a place to connect with dedicated community activists, public servants, and fellow urbanists from across the DC region.

Please join us for an evening of inspiration, friendship, and commitment to the fight for our communities. Our exciting guest speaker is Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, the first female African-American Mayor of Alexandria in its 276-year history. Mayor Gaskins is a leader on smart growth, housing, equity, transit and safe streets, and will inspire us all!

And, you may have noticed that this year’s Smart Growth Social is the day before Halloween, offering a chance for special creativity. So this year we’re adding an Urbanist Halloween Costume contest with a prize for the best costume reflecting the work for safer streets, better transit, more housing options, and great public spaces! 

Event Details:

What: Smart Growth Social
When: October 30, 2025, 6:30-9pm
Eastern Market, North Hall
Tickets: $30

Get your ticket!

With every ticket, we move closer to building walkable, affordable neighborhoods that serve us all.

Want to do even more to support CSG?

Join our Host Committee (select $250 on the ticket page) or send us an email to learn more about individual and corporate sponsorships. Contact Angela Congleton, angela@smartergrowth.net. 

CSG is also looking for volunteers to help us with setup/takedown, serving guests, and signing them in. If you’re interested in supporting, please sign up!

For 28 years, the CSG team has been working with you, our supporters, partners, and fellow advocates for more walkable, bike-friendly, affordable, and transit-oriented communities. For more housing and better transit. For a revitalized city, livable suburbs, and protection of rural farms and forests. At a moment when our region faces tough realities, your participation reflects the resilience of our community.

CSG primer: Visualize 2050, our region’s 25-year transportation plan

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

The draft Visualize 2050 plan, our region’s long-range transportation plan, has too many highway and arterial road expansions that will increase driving and climate emissions. We will miss our region’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 – even if there’s a rapid switch to electric vehicles.

Get informed so you can take action on key decisions this fall: 

  • Upcoming key vote on flawed 495 Southside Express Lanes project 
  • Comment period on failing status quo Visualize plan

Source: TPB, with annotations by the Coalition for Smarter Growth

Background on Visualize 2050

  • Visualize 2050 is our region’s long-range transportation plan, prepared by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), a regional body overseen by our local and state officials and transportation agencies. 
  • CSG background article
    • From March 2024, on draft project list that is now being presented for final approval this fall along with its performance results. 
  • 48 organizations criticized the previous plan, Visualize 2045 with very similar projects Letter by 48 regional organizations on Visualize 2045 (May 2022)

495 Southside Express Lanes Project

  • The TPB board will vote in October on whether or not to include the Virginia Department of Transportation’s flawed highway expansion project in the final plan.
  • Background on the project’s flaws, questions that VDOT has not answered, and better alternatives that need to be studied and advanced.

Stay tuned for actions you can take this fall!

  • Be on the lookout for CSG action alerts in September and October ahead of the TPB vote on the 495 Southside Express Lanes project.
  • Formal public comment on the entire draft Visualize 2050 plan will take place in late October through mid-November. CSG will provide a more in-depth overview of the draft plan – stay tuned.

Event Materials: Fixing zoning to build more affordable housing & walkable communities (DC)

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

How can we build more homes while ensuring neighborhood-friendly buildings and great public spaces? Emerging approaches to zoning offer simpler rules for creating great places, while reducing delay, uncertainty, and the cost of new housing.

Take Action: Do you want an even better Metro & bus? Take this survey!

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

CSG is at the table with leaders from DC, Maryland, and Virginia in “DMVMoves” – an initiative to create an updated transit vision and to (finally!) identify dedicated funding. This is the most important initiative in years to create a world-class regional transit network – with financial stability – for years to come. 

Do you want an even better Metro & bus? Take this survey!

Do you want an even better Metro & bus? Take this survey!

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

CSG is at the table with leaders from DC, Maryland, and Virginia in “DMVMoves” – an initiative to create an updated transit vision and to (finally!) identify dedicated funding. This is the most important initiative in years to create a world-class regional transit network – with financial stability – for years to come. 

RELEASE: New Transit Access to Opportunity Data for the Seven Highest-Ridership Cities

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

“The Washington DC Metro’s strategy of increasing frequency, expanding service with 24-hour routes, and providing low-income fare passes is working,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth in Washington DC. “TransitCenter’s updated Transportation Equity Dashboard shows that the average DC area resident has much-improved access to jobs. Alexandria’s new DASH Bus network and free fares also contributed to much-improved access, with both systems showing the greatest benefits for Black and lower-income workers. This report shows the value of investing in Metro and our local bus systems, including the importance of finding 35% more bus operating funds for Metro to implement its Visionary Bus Network.”