Baltimore seeks to lure tourists deeper into the city with an historical path modeled after Boston's Freedom Trail.
While many laud Baltimore's Inner Harbor as a planning success, the tourist site fails in one regard: most visitors never venture into the rest of the city. In an effort to draw the Inner Harbor's critical mass further into downtown, the mayor's office and Baltimore businesses are teaming up to create a "City Heritage Walk" throughout the city, "connecting the dots" between historical landmarks. The inspiration? Bostons 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, "which began as a red line painted on city sidewalks, [and] is utilized by upward of 3 million people a year." The overarching theme and all of the sites have not been finalized, but the Baltimore path may focus on the first half of the 19th century, when the city was the second largest in the nation. "It's about connecting our cultural attractions so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts," said one proponent.
Thanks to David Gest
FULL STORY: Walk This Way

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie