Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

206 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 “has developed a lot more since then.” Lai cites the nearby four-year institutions of Catholic University and Howard University, both of which are located in Washington, D.C. With housing in the capital being so expensive, many students opt to live in New Carrollton and simply commute to class, as Lai points out. “We might be able to maximize and encourage young people who are studying to perhaps stay here—to invest their talents in developing New Carrollton after they graduate from their university studies,” he speculates. Lai says being connected is so important, especially these days. That kind of connectivity—being able to bike, walk, run or otherwise commute from New Carrollton to these other nearby cities—will only serve to make it even more attractive as a brighter economic future beckons, and the community well and truly takes off. “There’s a lot of ideas on the table, being discussed,” says Lai, “and a lot of developments also happening.” New Carrollton, he adds, has a bright tomorrow ahead. PREFERRED VENDOR/ PARTNER n CivicPlus civicplus.com CivicPlus® is a trusted government technology company. Our comprehensive suite of solutions creates one-stop, frictionless, interactions that delight residents and help staff collaborate and work efficiently. As a result, government administrations that choose CivicPlus realize greater trust and satisfaction among their community members. For more information, please visit civicplus.com. n ShoreScan Solutions https://www.shorescan.com/