The Cafritz property is a 37 acre town center in Riverdale Park, near the University of Maryland. It is served by Metro and MARC stations nearby and will be served by the Purple Line transit in the future. As such, it is envisioned as a mixed use project comprised of residential, retail, and hotel uses.

The plan, by MV+A architects, is a model of traditional town planning, with a main street and a series of urban blocks. The main street will be anchored by a Whole Foods grocery and include a variety of ancillary stores, small offices, and residential units. Our role was to create a series of parks, plazas, and streetscapes that would unify the neighborhood and provide recreational amenities for the residents.

The landscape is designed in the classical vernacular, in harmony with the traditional town plan and features a significant park at the main entry to the project along Baltimore Avenue. Additional parks include a central plaza with a spray fountain, a village green with performance gazebo, a playground and nature area, and a linear park with a bicycle trail connecting to nearby College Park. The open spaces are strongly linked to each other along the main axis of the neighborhood, Van Buren Street, creating a walkable neighborhood.