Today’s Guest Column
College Park should not just be a livable community. With its proximity to Washington, what has been ranked as the 38th best academic university in the world and being a lively city, College Park should be one of the most desirable college towns in the country. So why isn’t it?
My name is Matthew Popkin, and I’m running for one of College Park’s District 3 City Council seats. This is my fifth year living in College Park, as I am a graduate student in the public policy school. This city has become one of the only two places I’ve ever considered home. Whether you live in South Campus Commons, Graduate Gardens, Leonardtown, Old Town, Calvert Hills, Yarrow, or the College Park Estates neighborhood or on Knox Road or Fraternity Row, I want to represent you.
Through my work in the Student Government Association and the University Senate and through my experiences as a student and College Park resident, I have seen firsthand the inefficient use of time and resources based on a lack of coordination between the city and this university. I have also seen the poor communication and disconnect between student residents and long-term residents, and I can help bridge this gap by focusing on three main issues.
A critical hurdle to advancement is the recent deteriorating quality of life. To address this, a council work group recently drafted 63 ideas to improve the community — from attracting more businesses, such as movie theaters, restaurants and bars, to hosting more community block parties to facilitate meeting neighbors. While the council could have started implementing some of those ideas this month, it chose instead to postpone discussion until after the election, squandering two months when action could be taken. In fact, this university, police, SGA and Greek life leadership have already begun implementing some ideas, such as the Code of Student Conduct expansion and proposing the on-campus tailgating pilot program.
In addition, public safety is a perpetual concern in College Park. It’s unacceptable that so many people feel nervous walking along Knox on Friday nights. Though violent crime has been decreasing, thanks to Prince George’s County Police and University Police, we must do even more to combat sexual assault, theft, vandalism and the community’s perception of crime levels.
As an SGA vice president in 2011, I led two safety walks in College Park. Both involved police, university and city staff, students, and local officials who walked along selected routes at night and subsequently implemented over 90 improvements, including new lights along Paint Branch Trail near Looney’s Pub and a redesigned intersection to reduce speed and improve pedestrian safety at Yale Avenue and Fraternity Row. Expanding this program to include more residents and students would bring the community together and further contribute to safety efforts.
Lastly, a college town should be well developed, accessible and sustainable. The focus should be on poorly developed or vacant lots. One example is redeveloping the Knox Box apartments into a vibrant Knox Village. The plans include both undergraduate and graduate housing, recreational space, and retail spaces connecting South Campus to downtown College Park, which would eliminate a huge eyesore and low-quality housing. The integration and expansion of car- and bike-sharing programs, along with the eventual Purple Line, would also help reduce traffic and pollution in the area.
Beyond these, I have many more policy ideas regarding safety, community-building, sustainability and development that I cannot detail here. Please email me for a full list of my policy priorities. I welcome any questions, concerns or suggestions.
Despite genuine efforts and progress, the city and university have yet to completely collaborate, include all stakeholders and act upon the developed vision. It’s time to change that and adopt an approach that will help College Park fulfill its true potential.
Matthew Popkin is a graduate student in public policy and a candidate for City Council in District 3 for the Nov. 5 election. He can be reached at popkinforcitycouncil@gmail.com.
