A new George Washington University real estate study that rates Washington area “walkable urban communities” found Bethesda is prime for more growth and North Bethesda could be an important national model for strip mall redevelopment.
“The WalkUP Wake-Up Call” identified 43 area communities with retail districts, town centers, or other characteristics of walkable urban development, “a niche marker that [is] becoming the market,” according to the study.
It judged the areas based on economic performance and rated them on four tiers: copper, silver, gold and platinum.
Bethesda was given a Silver rating, thanks in part to the Bethesda Row:
Bethesda barely missed a Gold ranking. The redevelopment of the area adjacent to the south of the Metro station has been a national model, as has its place management. The Woodmont Triangle is where the future of opportunity exists.
North Bethesda, in the study as White Flint, got a Copper rating and was paired with Tysons Corner as examples of old strip mall development on the verge of complete overhauls:
Copper WalkUPs Tysons Corner and White Flint are national models of strip commercial redevelopment. Both are at the Copper level since they have recently made or committed to make significant transit improvements, and both have dramatically increased and made legal walkable urban zoning.
