Potomac, MD: A Community on the Verge of Sprawl - Vikrum Sheorey

As people we are shaped by not only our experiences but also by the environments that we have experienced life in. Therefore in keeping with the theme of our blog (the effects of suburban sprawl) we thought it would be best to introduce ourselves through descriptions of our hometowns.

Potomac, Maryland is a small and town on the edge of D.C. that is very similar to my fellow blogger Sheng's own town of Arlington, Virginia. I lived in Potomac for fifteen years and have seen it grow and change over the years. Like Arlington, Potomac is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of classification. The basic structure of the town is fairly centered around the community and many places such as the grocery store and pharmacy are within five to ten minutes away by foot. However as the community began to grow larger, elements of sprawl have begun to crop up in the more traditional neighborhoods. The most obvious and abundant example of sprawl in Potomac would have to be the introduction of the all too familiar McMansions.

The typical McMansion

McMansions may look pleasant when they are placed with other similar houses in their own sea of blandness, but when placed in traditional neighborhoods one is able to get a much better sense of their garrishness.

So what is Potomac then? Is it a traditional neighborhood or is it sprawl? Is it both? Can it be both?

To definitively figure out what my hometown is we should turn to the 5 guidelines for sprawl as laid out by Suburban Nation.

1. Housing subdivisions - The first element of sprawl is the division of living space versus commercial space. My neighborhood fits this description accurately as people do not live above or directly next to the shops where they purchase goods and services. However the main shopping center in town is directly bordered by family townhouses, which is uncharacteristic for sprawl. In this case I will concede that Potomac does fit this aspect of sprawl because even though the division is not huge as in sprawl, it is still a division with no exceptions in the zoning laws.
2. Shopping centers and big box retail - As mentioned previously there are distinct shopping centers in Potomac, but there are no large retailers in the center of town. The shopping center in the main part of town is more comprised of smaller businesses rather than huge companies. Superstores like Walmart and Target are located on the outskirts of town where the traditional neighborhoods end and sprawl has begun in full swing. Potomac does not fit this aspect of sprawl.
3. Office parks - Potomac is a suburb of D.C. and as one would imagine most business is conducted in D.C. Therefore there is very little corporate presence and as a result no office parks to speak of. Potomac does not fit this aspect of sprawl.
4. Civic institutions - Suburban Nation says that in sprawl civic institutions are usually not the focal points of town events and are usually inaccessible by walking. In my hometown the churches and especially the synagogues are easily located within walking distance. I say especially the synagogues because there is a large Jewish population in Potomac and on the weekends many of them are not allowed to drive to synagogue. On these days many people can be seen walking to the synagogue, something which is unheard of in sprawl. Therefore Potomac does not meet this aspect of sprawl.
5. Roadways - Suburban Nation uses the multi-lane streets of Virginia Beach as an example of the vast miles of pavement required to connect the many facets of a sprawl community. Potomac does not fit this description of sprawl. The streets are often narrow with one or two lanes and they form a "continuous web" as described by Suburban Nation in their description of a traditional neighborhood.
   

After analyzing Potomac through the criteria laid out by Suburban Nation it appears that my neighborhood is more traditional than I had once believed. Potomac itself is a very old town and as such will of course be more traditional than many other towns. Unlike sprawl areas, there is some sense of community. The biggest community event is the Potomac Day Parade, which is a festival in the center of town.

Pictures from the Potomac Day Parade

After learning so much about sprawl and its negative effects I have developed a new found appreciation for my hometown. The town is homogeneous in income level but is diverse ethnically enough that one experiences many aspects of life. Though it may be changing, I have immensely enjoyed growing up in a more traditional neighborhood while the rest of the nation moves towards more sprawl.

- Vikrum

Arlington, Virginia: The Neighborhood in Which I Grew Up

It is very difficult to categorize Arlington, Virginia either as a traditional neighborhood or as a sprawl because it is mixed of both. What I mean by that is I can access some groceries stores by walking five minutes just like I can go to Publix and get some groceries. However, if I want to get clothes or appliances, I will definitely need to have a car. Because Arlington is so close to Washington D.C., it is part of D.C. Metropolitan area and of course, there is more public transportation than the suburb. The Metro (same as Marta here) is a very convenient tool to get to D.C.; however, there are still plenty of people drive their cars to work. The rush hour period is long and hideous. Believe it or not, the rush hour starts at 2pm. The ethnicity and income level are pretty diverse in my neighborhood, but there is still not a very strong sense of community. Maybe it is because of lack of public space in my neighborhood. So, it is hard to make Arlington fit into either categories defined by the Suburban Nation or Blueprint America.



Here below is a video I found on YouTube. It shows that one have access to lots of activities around Arlington without driving in a car. At the beginning of the video, you can see that it is very easy to gain access to subways. Offices are above stores and restaurants that are on the first floor. There are also not too much traffic on the roads during most of the day. However, during rush hour, there definitely will be at least 4 times the traffic. :(



Even though my neighborhood is sort of in the middle, I have seen both sprawl and traditional neighborhood not far away for my neighborhood. In D.C., the Dupont Circle is a great example of traditional neighborhood. The circle itself is a public green space and many people can choose to relax there. The streets are designed in rows and columns to ensure that there are multiple ways to get to the destination. Almost all buildings are multipurpose: work or residential on top and commercial shops on the bottom. On the other hand, ten miles away from D.C., sprawling is everywhere. I saw this work park for Verizon. The parking lot is five times the size of the building and I guarantee you that the building takes more space than a stadium. Houses around the beltway are pretty much all identical and one could hardly get around without a car, exactly like what is described in Suburban Nation.


~Sheng Zhao