Development: Can Suburban Become Urban? Should It?

Here's a story about how suburban becomes urban. Or at least tries.

When I lived in Baltimore, Owings Mills was a pretty standard upper-middle-class suburb of Baltimore. But there were some interesting elements to the place. From (of course) Wikipedia:

Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,193 at the 2000 census. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus for the Baltimore Metro Subway and to Owings Mills Mall. It is also the location of the Baltimore Ravens' training camp.

... Being a Baltimore suburb, many Owings Mills residents drive into the city every day for work, using routes such as the 695 Beltway and 795. The Baltimore Metro Subway has also proven a popular method of transportation. There are also a few public buses available.

So there are a lot of things, particularly the subway, that "connect" Owings Mills to the city. The mall is a problem for people who are trying to revitalize the urban core, I suppose, but the Ravens might offer a bit of a cultural connection.

So back to that original link: It turns out that Owings Mills is trying to create a "core" of its own. To the tune of $220 million. Why would they do that? I mean, they seem to have a leg up on mass transit and all that. Well, here's more from Wiki:

In recent years, the Owings Mills area has faced numerous problems, mostly resulting from overdevelopment. The area, mostly around its center, has suffered from massive traffic jams, which have proven to be worse than daily traffic in nearby Baltimore city. Snarled traffic has frustrated area residents, workers, and visitors, who are routinely delayed by 10 minutes or more.

The State of Maryland has taken steps to address these concerns. These include the widening of certain roadways, and the increase in public bus service in the area. While the latter has faced quite a lot of opposition, funds for either have delayed either project by a number of years.

Construction of new urban projects in Owings Mills continues, including housing units, shopping, and office space.

So what to make of this? Are these people turning their backs on sustainable living by turning their backs on Baltimore? Or are they rushing headlong into sustainable living by "working where they live" and taking pressure off roads?

And what to do when Owings Mills starts getting suburbs of its own? Is there a way to prevent it? Is there any reason to?

Owings Mills is an excellent place to consider these kinds of issues. But don't take my word for it. Check out this study from a few years back.

Owings Mills, because of its peculiar preconditions of transportation, development and ecology has the potential to serve as a positive example of what the developing urban entity of the edge city could be. It is equally poised, however, to become yet another example of the placeless wasteland of isolated buildings, parking lots and despoiled waterways that is rapidly becoming the normal condition of the American landscape.

So ten years later, is Owings Mills closer to sustainability or further from it? And is the new plan a step in the right direction?

Take a look.

Comments

[John Morris]

Hi Sam,

I found this post really interesting but I don't know Owings Mills at all. Now it on my research list.

[Dan]

the 795 intersection at 695 creates INSANE traffic issue for anyone unless they leave for work at 5am. Its ridiculous. I am leaving the area and moving to savage so I never ever have to get on 695 again to get to 95