Location:
The Anacostia Building
1 Physics Ellipse Drive,
College Park, MD 20740
This public event is hosted by the National Center for Smart Growth
The National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) at the University of Maryland invites you to an exciting upcoming regional event, Affordable and Connected Communities: Transit, Development and Anti-Displacement in the Mid-Atlantic. Across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, planners, communities, elected leaders and developers are working to balance needs for increased housing supply and improved access to transit with the need to maintain affordability and cultural resources in low- and moderate-income communities.
As the major cities of the Mid-Atlantic region continue to grow, smart growth policies should encourage housing and commercial activity near transit. Without intentional partnerships, however, this growth and development near transit can result in displacement of existing residents and businesses. NCSG has been contending with these challenges for over a decade, through the work of the Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC), as well as groundbreaking research at the intersection of transit and communities.
On September 10, 2026, NCSG and PLCC will convene a summit in College Park, MD for those working on transportation, anti-displacement policy for businesses and residents, and affordable and market rate housing development. At this inaugural event for our region, roughly 75 invited decision makers and grassroots leaders representing communities from Richmond to Baltimore – as well as 300 virtual participants from across the region – will engage in powerful discussions about how to make sure transit investments benefit communities. The event will help chart a path for shared progress in growing communities across the mid-Atlantic.
