Coalition for Smarter Growth

06/10/2026

Montgomery County early voting starts tomorrow. Are you ready?

Learn where the candidates stand on housing, public transit, and more ⬇️

We’ve put together these resources to help you know how, where, and when you can cast your vote, and to inform you about primary candidates’ positions on housing, zoning, and transportation.

06/09/2026

It's Chesapeake ! This year’s theme, Built by Nature, Protected Together, celebrates the habitats, species, and systems that support the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the shared commitment it takes to protect them.

Smart growth - focusing development in compact walkable mixed-use towns and cities - is an essential tool for protecting the Bay's watersheds while providing needed housing & jobs. Maryland Department of Planning estimated that smart growth would reduce Chesapeake land consumption by 2/3 compared to status quo sprawl.

Coalition for Smarter Growth was founded by leaders from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other organizations in 1997 to promote a better way to grow in the Washington DC region. Check out our to see how this work continues today.



Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program

06/04/2026

A beautiful day for a staff picnic to celebrate our incredible long-time volunteer, Alex Mendelsohn!

A graduating high school senior, Alex has spent the past two weeks with CSG as part of his end-of-year Senior Experience, but we've known him since well before then. He is already a powerhouse transit advocate in Arlington, having served on the Arlington Transportation Commission and the WMATA Riders' Advisory Council. Throughout his high school career, Alex has been a dedicated CSG volunteer, showing up at events, attending meetings, and testifying to advance transit accessibility in NoVA and beyond, including providing feedback on WMATA’s Better Bus Network Redesign that launched last summer.

Over the last two weeks, he has jumped right in to help us with autonomous vehicle policy research and to prep for our upcoming Duke St. walking tour.

This fall, Alex is heading to Georgia Tech to study engineering. Alex, we are so incredibly grateful for everything you do, and we can’t wait to see where your passion, drive, and academic excellence take you next!

Here is to the next generation of smart growth leaders!

06/03/2026

We are heading into June with a full list of events and action items, both online and in person.

Read on to find your way to engage and make your voice heard:
https://www.smartergrowth.net/resources/newsletters/csg-news-party-pictures-tours-forums-and-voting/

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the know: https://secure.everyaction.com/DaJnpL9qvUWrk_b4wNvrgg2

Fresh off the 2026 Livable Communities Leadership Awards and Reception, we are heading into June with a full list of events and action items, both online and in person. Read on to find your way to engage and make your voice heard.

06/02/2026

Come get an inside look at Duke Street in Alexandria!

Saturday, June 6,
10:00am-12:00pm
Meet-up: Intersection of South Quaker Ln and Colvin St (near Rocklands)

Location is transit accessible.

Join CSG, City of Alexandria planning staff, and local community groups for a walking tour of Duke Street between West Taylor Run and Quaker Lane.

See new affordable housing, local small businesses, and hear about planned complete street and transit improvements and new community visions for the corridor.

The City of Alexandria is currently conducting an in-depth planning process with the public for the Duke Street corridor, so this is the perfect time to visit!

After the tour, there's an optional informal opportunity to join other participants and CSG staff for a bite to eat and socialize at a local restaurant. Details on the tour meet-up location and directions will be provided closer to the event.

RSVP: https://secure.everyaction.com/MK5gRGQcSUWG-_4e5al58w2

05/28/2026

The Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act (HB894) was signed into law by Governor Moore on Tuesday. This is a major win for smart growth, transit-oriented development, and housing affordability.

This law legalizes mixed-use development within half a mile of high-frequency rail stations statewide, including Metro, the Purple Line, the MARC Penn Line, and Baltimore-area light rail and metro stations. It empowers the state of Maryland and WMATA to plan for new homes and businesses on land they own adjacent to these stations—meaning less traffic, lower transportation costs, and a more sustainable future for Marylanders

Alongside our partners and supporters, CSG was proud to play a role in making this happen. Carrie Kisicki was in Annapolis on Tuesday, representing the dedicated smart growth champions who helped power this bill to victory.

Image credits: “Bill Signing” by Maryland GovPics via Flickr, CC BY 4.0

05/26/2026

As we grapple with housing affordability, zoning reform, and the urgent need for more diverse housing options, single-stair multifamily housing has emerged as a key design and policy opportunity.

If we combine these kinds of innovations with walkable neighborhoods and great placemaking, we can create more sustainable, inclusive, and in-demand neighborhoods.

Join us, along with the American Institute of Architects | DC (AIA|DC) and the Congress for the New Urbanism Mid-Atlantic (CNU DC), to explore how smarter housing design can help advance more walkable, inclusive, and resilient neighborhoods across our region.

Single-Stair Multifamily Buildings + Walkable Neighborhoods
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
District Architecture Center
421 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

RSVP:

Join AIA|DC’s Housing the Region Committee, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, and the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU DC) for an engaging evening exploring how smarter housing design can help advance more walkable, inclusive, and resilient neighborhoods.As communities across the Washington regi...

05/22/2026

Join us next Thursday, May 28th for our second of two County Executive Candidate forums!

7PM @ Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center
4805 Edgemoor Ln, Bethesda, MD

RSVP and submit your questions: bit.ly/GOPforum26

05/14/2026

What a night! Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2026 Livable Communities leadership Awards & Reception last night.

We were proud to honor Andy Altman and Ron Kaplan of Fivesquares Development with CSG’s Livable Communities Leadership Award, and to celebrate the Montgomery Housing Alliance and the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA) with the Sanders-Henn Community Hero Award.

As Andy Altman of Fivesquares highlighted last night in his remarks, people like you, along with strong networks that you built, have a profound impact on the region. “When you look at the footprint when you are flying in, we are the leader in the world [in smart growth], and it’s because of the work you all do. It is so powerful to be a part of that.”

If you could not join us last night, we missed you and hope to see you next time!

05/13/2026

Last call!

Our 2026 Livable Communities Leadership Awards & Reception is TOMORROW, and this is your last chance to reserve your spot for CSG’s most inspiring evening of the year.

Wednesday, May 13
6 - 8 PM
Rooftop terrace, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library

We’d love to see you there: https://secure.everyaction.com/CrDTzF2Zt0qnyhaABGSmTg2

Already registered? We look forward to seeing you! Check your inbox for a “know-before-you-go” email with helpful logistical information.

Pictured: Highlights from our previous Livable Communities Receptions. Hope to see you on May 13th! Photo credits: Marco Sanchez, Hugh Kenny.