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Miller, Miller & Canby Hosts Book Signing for Royce Hanson

Posted November 21, 2017 at 6:02 PM

Land Development, MM&C Happenings, News & Events, Press

Suburb: Planning Politics and the Public Interest Offers Rare and Insightful Look at the Transformation of Montgomery County, MD

Royce Hanson, former Montgomery County Planning Board President, author, civic leader and research professor at the George Washington Institute of Public Policy, has released his new book, Suburb: Planning Politics and the Public Interest. The book looks at the history of Montgomery County over the past 100 years, exploring notable land use policies during a time of significant growth and change.

On November 14, the Land Use and Real Estate departments of leading Maryland law firm, Miller, Miller & Canby, hosted a talk and book signing for Mr. Hanson in North Bethesda, Maryland. The Washington Post’s Roger Lewis was on hand to provide introductory remarks before Mr. Hanson spoke briefly about his motivation for writing the book. Suburb tells the story of Montgomery County’s transformation from a rural entity into a community of more than one million people. Throughout this remarkable period of growth, the county built a stellar reputation for strategic land use decisions that were progressive and innovative while serving the public interest. “Much of what the county accomplished,” writes Mr. Hanson, “can be attributed to a general plan that presented a pervasive vision that looked forward half a century, rather than fixate on immediate challenges.”

Through this study of Montgomery County, Suburb shares a rare and insightful view of the process, and provides a valuable resource for citizens, planners, government officials and developers seeking to learn more about zoning and planning for the benefit of any community.

Added Senior Land Use Department lawyer, Jody Kline, “There are young real estate attorneys who are coming into practice here who don’t know about Montgomery County’s history. This is an important work, not only to teach a new generation here about our county, but to also educate and inspire real estate professionals and community advocates nationwide.”

In addition to a distinguished career in academia, Mr. Hanson served for many years in leadership positions on the Montgomery County Planning Board and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, as well as the Committee on National Urban Policy and National Research Council. He has won numerous awards for his service, including the AIA Kai Medal for contributions to planning and urban design, and the American Planning Association’s Benjamin Banneker Award and Frederick Gutheim Distinguished Leadership Award.

Suburb can be ordered here.

Click the download link below to view the full press release.

The book signing was featured in the December 2017 issue of The Washington Business Journal.