Rockville Town Center Master Plan

In 2023, the City of Rockville embarked on an update to the 2001 Rockville Town Center Master Plan. The overarching goal of the master plan update was to strengthen Town Center by creating a cohesive vision for the planning area that meets the city’s goals and provides a clear path for implementation. A new master plan would also bring Town Center into alignment with citywide goals regarding climate action, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and racial equity and social justice.

The Mayor and Council adopted the 2025 Rockville Town Center Master Plan on Jan. 27, 2025. The adopted plan amends the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan to replace the previous Planning Area 1 chapter.

The Town Center Master Plan was developed with extensive input from the Rockville community. During a five-month outreach and engagement process, the city met with hundreds of stakeholders and held nearly 50 public meetings to gather feedback on Town Center’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Three themes emerged from the outreach process and are reflected in the adopted plan:

• Creating a flexible regulatory environment that allows Town Center to thrive by enabling development and allowing the market to determine the “highest and best” land uses over the next two decades.
• Prioritizing the development of additional residential housing, with a particular emphasis on affordable and attainable housing units.
• Transforming Town Center into a vibrant local and regional destination where people can live, work, and play for years to come.

Plan Goals

The Town Center Master Plan identifies and seeks to accomplish 12 goals across seven thematic chapters. There are a total of 63 recommended actions within the plan. 

Project Timeline