Fort Washington Street Mural

Advancing Neighborhood Pride and Safety

The Neighborhood Design Center partnered with Fort Washington Forward, a community-driven organization in Prince George’s County, to bring color, creativity, and awareness to the intersection of Cady Drive and Livingston Road through a temporary street mural and public art demonstration.

Fort Washington Forward works to advance neighborhood pride and safety across the Fort Washington community. As part of the Made You Look / MDOT FY26 program, this project transformed a segment of Cady Drive into an interactive canvas during the Fort Washington Forward Festival on October 4, 2025. Residents came together to co-create a mural exploring art’s role in traffic calming and pedestrian safety.

Reimagining the Street as Canvas

Drawing on feedback collected at the 2024 festival, where residents identified the Cady Drive and Livingston Road intersection as a top safety concern, NDC collaborated with the nonprofit to design and implement a vibrant geometric mural inspired by the aerial outline of historic Fort Washington. The project served as a real-time demonstration of how creative placemaking can contribute to safer, more walkable streets.

NDC’s team managed site preparation, mural layout, and community participation logistics, using water-based paint and brushes provided by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Placemaking Section. “The Blank Canvas,” a local artist-led studio, sponsored the mural paint, with community fundraising covering the remaining materials to make the event possible.” 

A Day of Community and Creativity

Over 400 attendees joined the Fort Washington Forward Festival, with dozens of residents—including children from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s bike safety class and long-time neighborhood elders—participating in painting the mural. Conversations at the site centered on how public art can impact driver behavior and foster a sense of local identity.

Although the artwork was removed at the end of the day to reopen the road, the participatory process itself became a touchstone for renewed community pride and collective problem-solving. Data collected from the event will inform future projects exploring creative approaches to traffic safety in Prince George’s County.

Thanks to our Project Partners