Bowie MARC Station

Bowie, Maryland

Located along the MARC Penn Line between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD, the Bowie State Station serves a diverse regional population, including residents, students, and commuters. Following the proposed Bowie MARC Station Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment, a group composed of Prince Georges County, the town of Bowie, and Bowie State University have proposed a vertical mixed-use Community Center redevelopment project for this area. The 2,282-acre project will be developed in accordance with the 2006 Approved Bowie and Vicinity Master Plan and Sectional Map Amendment. The community’s vision involves “achieving a compact, environmentally sensitive, pedestrian-friendly, and transit-supportive mixed-use community center that serves BSU students and faculty as well as surrounding neighborhoods and MARC commuters.” The existing MARC station redevelopment will accommodate Bowie State University’s expansion in the short-medium term and attract additional development and investment in the long term.

Application of Sustainability

Greening Urban served as the project’s sustainable design consultant, working to implement low-impact development strategies that retain and improve existing environmental assets while enhancing economic benefits for future development. The primary focus of the recommendations included establishing a low-impact development stormwater management strategy that supports the goals expressed in the 2006 Approved Bowie and Vicinity Master Plan and Sectional Map Amendment. Additionally, we recommended:

  • Constructed stormwater and wastewater wetlands, to mitigate impacts of increased runoff and simultaneously serve as a natural buffer promoting the area’s environmental integrity.
  • Bioswales and rain gardens, reducing the need to extend municipal infrastructure and promote infiltration in line with Maryland’s stormwater requirements.
  • Rainwater reuse strategies, through smart irrigation and greywater systems to reduce potable water requirements and associated costs.
  • A cogeneration plant with district heating and cooling, to reduce energy use and emissions from development structures, as well as promoting energy independence.
  • Clustered development, to reduce the impact of increased impervious surfaces.
  • Protecting and connecting habitats through trail networks that encourage walking, biking, and human/nature interaction.

Finally, Greening Urban offered guidance on how to tie sustainable practices for the master plan to the curriculum at Bowie State University.

Prime Consultant: Torti Gallas & Partners, Inc.
Status: Design Development Phase