Montgomery County Planning Board Sponsors Speaker Series on Housing

The Montgomery County Planning Board is sponsoring a three-part Speaker Series, “Housing Conversation: From Research to Reality,” to be held in July, September, and October 2024. The conversations with national and local experts and thought leaders will focus on the latest innovations, trends, and what’s working to increase housing options and affordability in neighborhoods across the country.

All sessions are open to the public and will be held in the M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. They will also be livestreamed on the Planning Board website and made available on-demand. The sessions will include a presentation and discussion as well as a time for questions and answers.

Sessions: 

July 18 
Intersection: Land Use and Housing Supply, a National and Local Perspective 

Local land use regulations, such as zoning, are the most direct way that jurisdictions can regulate housing supply, but what else should planners be focusing on? What can planners do to increase housing supply? Join the Planning Board to hear about tools being used nationally to increase housing supply, followed by an analysis of the local housing market. 

Panel: 
Yonah Freemark, Principal Research Associate, Urban Institute
Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist, Bright MLS

Moderator: Artie Harris, Chair, Montgomery Planning Board

September 19 
A Tale from our Partners: Lessons Learned from the Trenches 

As a follow up to the July session, the panel discussed various ways localities are addressing housing supply shortages. But how have they worked in practice? As jurisdictions across the country embark on plans to increase housing supply, this session will examine lessons learned from agencies that have already implemented attainable housing strategies. Hear from representatives from Oregon and St. Paul, MN on their initiatives over the past five years to encourage more housing development. They’ll talk about what worked, what didn’t work, what they would do differently, and what advice they have to offer. 

Panel: 
Emma Brown, Senior City Planner, St. Paul, Minnesota Department of Planning and Economic Development
Mari Valencia Aguilar, Senior Housing Planner, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development

October 17 
Practitioner’s Panel: Implementation Successes and Areas of Focus 

Join the Planning Board to hear from developers and industry experts that have leveraged relaxed zoning and other creative tools to develop attainable housing. Discover what worked, where were the challenges, and what Montgomery County can do to actualize attainable housing.

Panel: 
Bob Young, Principal, Young Group
Rosie Hepner, Vice President, ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing
Representative from Opticos Design, Inc.