Baltimore
Op-Ed: Maryland Governor Is No Friend to Transit
According to this editorial, Governor Larry Hogan's decision to halt a planned $2.9 billion light rail line betrays a politically-motivated preference for roads.
Shaking the 'Inner City' Stigma
The recent riots in Baltimore have revived the old stereotype of poor, crime-infested inner cities. Orlando Patterson argues in the New York Times that the truth about inner cities is much more nuanced and hopeful.
How Cities Are Stopping the Blight Contagion
Every city with neighborhoods in decline and a lack of demand for new investment is faced with the challenge of how to address blight. Each city's challenges are unique, but many are finding new and effective strategies to end the spread of blight.
Grant Funding Rewards Innovation in Community Engagement
The Citi Foundation and Living Cities announced $3 million in grant funding to help cities adopt innovative practices in community engagement. Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Seattle will have 18 months to empower citizens.
Lessons from Baltimore: Civic Action, Not Defensive Architecture, Needed
Baltimore was only beginning to undo the ill effects of the architecture and planning response to the riots of 1968 when the protests and unrest of 2015 struck. Can the architecture field produce a more positive response to violence this time?
Will Plummeting Gas Prices Threaten Recent Transit Ridership Gains?
As gas prices have fallen, driving has increased. October driving mileage figures show an increase of 3 percent from a year earlier. A shift away from public transit may cause transit providers to rethink expansion plans.
First New U.S. Waste-to-Energy Plant in 20 Years to Open in Florida
Waste-to-energy plants, or incinerators, are classified as renewable power plants by the EPA. A controversial Baltimore plant is under construction as well. More common in Europe, they may be catching on stateside due to low recycling rates.
$5 Billion in Funding for Northeast High-Speed Rail—Courtesy the Japanese Government
A bank controlled by the government of Japan has promised $5 billion in financing for a proposal that would connect Washington D.C. and Baltimore via maglev, high-speed rail.
Baltimore Bus Stop Design Leaves No Doubt
Part street furniture, part advertisement for public transit, part public art—the designers of a new bus stop installation in Baltimore call it "an obvious bus stop."
Baltimore's Greenmount West Neighborhood Faces Fears of Gentrification
The neighborhood of Greenmount West provides a case study of neighborhoods exposed to the risks of gentrification as a result of cultural changes and pointed policy measures meant to reverse the status quo in crime and poverty ridden neighborhoods.
Baltimore Past and Future Found on Brewers Hill
Adaptive reuse of historic breweries has revitalized the Brewers Hill neighborhood in Baltimore, which is well-situated with future Red Line access and proximity to the Port of Baltimore and the Canton Crossing shopping district.
Baltimore Water Wheel Takes out the Trash—40 Tons since May
Part innovative urban design solution, part historic and simple design solution, the city of Baltimore's trash-collecting water wheel has been an unmitigated success at mitigating the trash in the Jones Fall River.
Baltimore's Code Enforcement Has Teeth with 'Vacants to Value' Initiative
Baltimore is increasing lawsuits against negligent property owners with outstanding code violations. As part of the city's "Vacants to Value" initiative, forfeited properties are transferred to receivership and auctioned to new owners.
Inside Baltimore's City Farms Program
Baltimore's urban gardening program dates back to 1978. A recent article details how the program works and the opportunity presented by a recent expansion to a new kind of property.
Baltimore Launches 'Anchor Plan' for Partnerships with Colleges and Hospitals
The city of Baltimore, led by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, has launched "The Baltimore City Anchor Plan"—a plan that prioritizes strategic partnerships with the city's "eds and meds" sector.
Baltimore's First EcoDistrict: State Center Redevelopment Project
Baltimore's first test of the EcoDistrict green neighborhood program was enabled by a lawsuit that delayed the State Center redevelopment project for four years.
Enough with the Parking Garages: Baltimore's Inner Harbor Redo Criticized
The first step in the transformation of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is a proposed renovation of Rash Field. But one commentator sees the subterranean parking garage included in conceptual plans as more of the same car-domination.
The High Line as Symbol of 'Severe Economic Inequality'
A recent article in Salon cites the High Line as perhaps the most conspicuous example of how municipal governments are subsidizing wealthy corporate or private interests while many citizens continue to suffer low wages and benefits.
Can Biking Be for Everyone?
Most bikers are white and have a college degree. A recent article examines the Baltimore Bike Experience as an example of the types of programs that could expand the use of biking into other parts of the city, among other benefits.
Note to 'Best Workplace' List-Makers: The Commute Matters
Baltimore Magazine’s annual “Best Places to Work” list factors in in salaries, benefits, and workplace perks—but not commuting. In the Washington, DC metro area, that’s no small thing.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
