Activity Centers

The idea of concentrating growth in specific locations called Activity Centers was considered a visionary goal when it was proposed in the Transportation Planning Board’s Vision in 1998. Today, after years of promotion and cooperation by area leaders, this idea is widely embraced throughout the region. From the District of Columbia to the inner and outer suburbs, vibrant, mixed-use and multiple-use communities have been developed and redeveloped as support for Activity Centers has grown.

COG works with local governments to help support land use planning by analyzing growth and informing leaders and stakeholders on placemaking and development decisions. COG's current Activity Centers Map, developed with local planning officials and the Region Forward Coalition and approved by the COG Board in 2013, represents a significant evolution from previous versions of the map. The current Activity Centers are smaller, more compact, and more walkable than their predecessors. They are also more aligned with the region’s transit network; approximately 70 percent of centers contain existing or planned rail stations. While the 141 Activity Centers on the new map still include major employment centers, mixed-use and multiple-use Centers account for a majority of the centers. Every COG jurisdiction has at least one place designated as an Activity Center.

After the Region Forward Vision re-emphasized Activity Centers as the best strategy for accommodating future growth, COG and its officials focused on how Activity Centers could more effectively shape policy, planning, and investment decisions at the regional and local levels. COG’s Place + Opportunity Report, released in 2014, identifies ten unique types of Activity Centers throughout the region and provides strategies and tools to assist local governments and other regional stakeholders in strengthening their centers.