Welcome to Community Vision for Takoma, an informal network of over 1000 Takoma residents and nearby neighbors, who want a Takoma Junction revitalization that uses public land for the public good. We also work on other issues relating to health, safety, and economic well-being, structural racism and gentrification, and transparency, accountability, and increased public participation in local government.
We are concerned that plans for the development of the publicly-owned property at the Junction–land that was secured for the purpose of benefiting the residents of the community–have evolved into a developer-driven project that will not be affordable for small, locally-owned businesses, or inclusive of all Takoma residents, exacerbating racial and socioeconomic segregation. We also believe that the plan would: exacerbate the Junction traffic congestion and related safety concerns; eliminate space for community activities and public gathering; drive up rents in a commercial neighborhood of businesses owned by Black people and people of color; and threaten the survival of the community-owned grocery store which is one of the largest employers in the City and the only unionized service business.
What We Stand FOR at the Junction:
- Visionary placemaking at the Junction to create a town square open to all
- Use of public space that is inclusive and welcoming without requiring consumption
- Preservation of affordable retail spaces
- Support for innovative, local, independent small businesses
- Pop-ups, coffee shops, food trucks & Union-Market-style business incubator space
- Respect for the “low and open” small town neighborhood architecture
- Prioritizing innovative programming over building massive permanent structures
- Prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport
- Continued support for our only downtown grocery store
- Optimized use of public space for public events, music, and art
- New landscaping and preservation, improvement, & expansion of green space
- Celebrating a commercial neighborhood where a majority of business-owners are people of color
- Highest environmental standards
- Improvement in Junction traffic
- Improvement in Junction safety
- Development prioritizing public good rather than maximum income
