Region Forward is a vision for a more accessible, sustainable, prosperous, and livable National Capital Region. It was developed by the Greater Washington 2050 Coalition, a group of public, private, and civic leaders created by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in 2008 to help the region meet future challenges like accommodating two million more people by 2050, maintaining aging infrastructure, growing more sustainably, and including all residents in future prosperity.

The Coalition spent a year-and-a-half reviewing regional plans, studying efforts in other parts of the country, and asking for input. A workshop of bold scenarios, survey of area residents, and comments from the public revealed support for a comprehensive vision that would combine physical development goals with social and economic ones.

Region Forward is not a one-size-fits-all vision. It accepts the differences among our cities and counties, but also embraces something that residents of the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia understand. Our futures are interconnected. In 2010, COG and its 21 local governments individually endorsed Region Forward and its Greater Washington 2050 Compact. And other agencies, stakeholder groups, and area residents have added (and continue to add) their support as well.

Now, a new group has been charged by COG to take Region Forward to the next level. In June 2011, the Region Forward Coalition held its inaugural meeting. RFC members will use Region Forward to measure progress, prioritize needs, and jumpstart projects that will help us meet our goals. Like the 2050 Coalition that preceded it, the RFC has a broad membership of local, state and federal government officials, business and nonprofit leaders, and advocates.

This web site was created to share Region Forward with a wider audience. It also keeps the conversation about our region’s challenges and goals fresh with regular posts on the The Yardstick, the site’s blog. If you prefer PDFs, the original Region Forward report can be found here. 

Thank you for your interest.  We encourage you to learn more about Region Forward and help us turn these big goals into better communities.