Planning, Reports, & Studies

As a master planned community, Columbia’s development and planning is as important today as it was at our founding in 1967. Columbia Association works closely with our partners in Howard County Government to deliver studies, plans and reports to best inform our decisions around the future of Columbia.  

Columbia Association (CA) cares for 95 miles of pathways for walking, biking and jogging, and is responsible for developing a comprehensive and safe bicycling and walking circulation system. CA regularly evaluates and plans for the future of its pathways system. In 2012, CA prepared the Active Transportation Action Agenda to serve as a guiding document for future investment in the pathway network. Building upon this Agenda, CA is currently developing an updated plan to meet today’s needs.

Pathway Forward: An Action Plan for Columbia’s Pathways, an update to the Active Transportation Action Agenda, is currently underway. The initiative is led by the Pathway Forward task force, composed of community members and planning leaders.

Although focused on the CA pathway network, CA actively partners with Howard County’s Office of Transportation on integrating our network with other county-wide pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

Columbia Association is currently installing temporary counters to monitor pathway usage at key locations throughout the pathway network. The data will influence recommendations in the updated action plan and provide a baseline for measuring pathway usage over time.

The Downtown Columbia Plan, an amendment to the PlanHoward 2030, is a 30-year master plan for the revitalization and redevelopment of Downtown Columbia. It provides land use, design, transportation, environmental, and housing recommendations as well as a phasing and implementation framework for reinvestment and redevelopment of Downtown properties. 

CA was a major stakeholder and participant in the initial discussion, creation and adoption of the Downtown Columbia Plan. As a major landholder of crucial public space amenities located in the Downtown area, CA works closely with adjacent property owners to coordinate reinvestment and improvement of these holdings. This includes processing easement requests and working with adjacent property owners as well as Howard County Government on use of CA land for infrastructure and amenities to fulfill the plan’s vision. 

For reports and more information on the Downtown Columbia Plan, visit the Howard County website.

• Millennial Report (2019): A study on how CA can better serve young adults ages 18-35. 
• Community for a Lifetime (2014): CA’s Comprehensive Plan for Serving the Older Adult Community. 
• Characteristics of Columbia (2013): A demographic and socio-economic profile of Columbia and its Villages based on 2010 census data.