Surviving The Demand Of Community Change In The County’s Inner Beltway Towns
A Blueprint for Belonging: “The Vision is Yours” Forum Reimagines Public Spaces Through Community-Led Action
PHOTOGRAPHY APPEARS COURTESY SIDE A PHOTOGRAPHY
On a bright spring weekend, the pulse of possibility beat at the heart of Mount Rainier. At Joe’s Movement Emporium, a beloved local arts hub in the Gateway Arts District, artists, residents, urban planners, and civic leaders gathered not just to talk about change—but to build it, plant it, paint it, and envision it together.
The two-day placemaking event, aptly named “The Vision is Yours,” was more than a forum. It was a living demonstration of what’s possible when local communities are given the tools—and more importantly, the trust—to shape the neighborhoods they call home.
Workshops gave way to sidewalk murals. Panel discussions transformed into native plant installations. Conversations around equity, affordability, and cultural identity echoed from the walls of the Emporium to the corners of neighborhood gardens.
“This event is about more than design — it’s about people coming together to build a future they believe in,” said Jennifer Goold, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Design Center.
Indeed, the forum was not simply about aesthetics or planning jargon—it was about ownership, empowerment, and place justice.
A Community in Motion
Mount Rainier, a small but dynamic city bordering Northeast Washington, D.C., has long been a haven for artists, activists, and immigrant families. It sits at the center of the Gateway Arts District, an ambitious, decades-long effort to leverage arts and culture as catalysts for economic revitalization in Prince George’s County.
Yet like many communities across Maryland, Mount Rainier has struggled under the weight of inequities rooted in disinvestment, redlining, and uneven economic growth. While the district has seen sparks of renewal in recent years, long-time residents and newcomers alike are grappling with affordability, aging infrastructure, and the threats of gentrification.
According to U.S. Census data, between 2000 and 2020, Mount Rainier’s median household income rose only marginally—from approximately $38,000 to just under $63,000—trailing behind both state and national growth trends. Meanwhile, housing prices have surged. In 2000, the median home price was around $110,000; by 2023, it had more than tripled to nearly $400,000, fueled in part by spillover demand from Washington, D.C.
Rental prices have risen, too. Between 2005 and 2022, the average monthly rent in Prince George’s County increased by over 70%, placing pressure on working families, artists, and seniors in communities like Mount Rainier.
Working for the future (from left to right): Sam McCrory, David Moore, Adam Dodgshon, Dennae Jones, Eduard Krakhmalnikov, Katie Lee and Dejuan Johnson
“What we’re seeing isn’t just market shifts—it’s structural,” noted Maryland’s Assistant Secretary for Just Communities, Cat Goughnour, during her keynote address. “These patterns are rooted in long-standing disparities. The challenge now is: how do we reverse those trends without displacing the very people who built these neighborhoods?”
Goughnour’s department is launching the Just Communities initiative—a statewide effort to invest in historically marginalized neighborhoods through place-based development strategies that prioritize equity, resilience, and cultural preservation.
Reclaiming the Narrative: Bree Jones and the Power of Slow Development
A highlight of the forum was the keynote by Bree Jones, founder of Parity Homes in West Baltimore. Jones’ work focuses on “slow, community-led development” — a direct contrast to the speculative, extractive models that often dominate urban redevelopment.
In Baltimore, Jones is organizing residents to collectively purchase and renovate vacant properties, turning blighted blocks into thriving, affordable communities. Her message: communities don’t need rescuing; they need resources, respect, and room to breathe.
“We’ve been taught to equate progress with speed, but speed often erases people,” Jones said. “Slowing down allows for healing. It creates space for trust. And trust is the foundation of real community power.”
That ethos was reflected throughout the weekend. Rather than relying solely on expert-driven solutions, the forum’s organizers focused on participatory design, hands-on engagement, and deep listening.
Workshops explored themes like equitable public engagement, sustainable design, and creative funding models. Neighborhood walks highlighted successful local projects—such as the traffic-calming mural installed by community youth and the grassroots revitalization of neighborhood gardens.
A Living Laboratory of Possibility
Mount Rainier was not chosen as the forum’s location by accident. The city itself is a testament to the promise—and the perils—of place-based change.
Just a few blocks from the Emporium, once-vacant storefronts are now home to artist studios, eco-boutiques, and cafes. The city has invested in sidewalk improvements, green infrastructure, and crosswalk art. Yet many residents remain concerned about affordability and whether redevelopment will reflect their values and needs.
According to a 2021 report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Maryland faces a shortage of over 135,000 affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters. In Prince George’s County, more than 45% of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend over 30% of their income on rent.
Mount Rainier and nearby communities like Brentwood and Hyattsville are microcosms of this crisis. While designated as part of an “arts district,” these communities must now grapple with how to retain affordability while attracting new investment.
“Art can be both a shield and a sword,” said local muralist Karen Littlefeather, who led a youth art session during the forum. “It can protect identity, but it can also open the door to displacement if we’re not careful.”
Building More Than Benches: Joy as Resistance
On the final day, the forum closed with a joyous block party—a moment that brought theory and practice full circle. The street outside Joe’s Movement Emporium was transformed into a temporary plaza bursting with life. Music floated from a nearby stage. Kids painted flowerpots and danced beside a street mural. Neighbors swapped stories and seedlings over sparkling mocktails provided by Waterhole.
Representatives from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) unveiled their Placemaking Container—a mobile toolkit designed to help residents activate underused public spaces in their own neighborhoods. It includes benches, plants, games, and art supplies, and it’s just one example of how government can support grassroots efforts without taking over.
“This isn’t just about beautifying spaces,” said Goold. “It’s about creating infrastructure for belonging.”
Toward a Future We Design Together
As cities across the country reckon with the overlapping crises of housing, climate, and equity, events like The Vision is Yours offer more than inspiration—they offer direction.
They remind us that development doesn’t have to mean displacement. That beauty and justice are not mutually exclusive. And that the most enduring solutions are those co-created by the people who will live with them.
In Mount Rainier, the seeds planted that weekend—literally and figuratively—will continue to bloom. Not just as gardens or murals, but as relationships, policies, and visions of what public space can be: inclusive, joyful, rooted in community.
Because the vision isn’t just theirs—it’s all of ours.
