Welcome

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

Author: Susan Katz Miller

http://onbeingboth.wordpress.com/

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