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Coalition Sets 40-Year Goals For D.C. Region

November 3, 2009
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David J. Robertson, executive director of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and Harriet Tregoning, director of D.C.'s Office of Planning, are helping spearhead the Greater Washington 2050 initiative.
Rebecca Sheir
David J. Robertson, executive director of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and Harriet Tregoning, director of D.C.'s Office of Planning, are helping spearhead the Greater Washington 2050 initiative.

Imagine taking Houston, Texas and moving its 2,000,000 residents here. David Robertson of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says that's how much the National Capital Region will grow by 2050.

"So in areas of transportation congestion, open-space preservation, a number of those, the region is not gonna be the region we all want," said Robertson.

That's why COG assembled a coalition to develop "Greater Washington 2050." The plan includes slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent and raising the high-school graduation rate to 90 percent.

"Just as we have come together as a region in the past, for instance when we adopted plans for the Metro system, it's important for us to come to some agreement as to accomplishments we would like to happen within the next 40 years," said Sharon Bulova, chair of Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors, heads the coalition.

After this month's public comment period, COG's Board will ask local governments to sign a compact adopting the plan's goals.

Rebecca Sheir reports...

Note:

Region Forward, a draft report produced by COG's Greater Washington 2050 Coalition, proposes goals, targets, and a compact agreement for the region's jurisdictions to work together to address these and other critical issues. COG members, stakeholders, and the public have until November 30, 2009 to comment on the report.

COG has produced a podcast series to serve as a brief overview of Region Forward. Click hereto listen to the podcasts.

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