When Baltimore got funding for a round of school renovations, the state directed it to design schools that would also advance neighborhood revitalization — and it learned some lessons about why that's not always so simple.
Baltimore's 21st Century School Buildings Program (21CSBP) demonstrates how school infrastructure investments can be leveraged for broader community development goals. Launched in 2013 with $1.1 billion in funding, the program has built or renovated 27 schools while intentionally connecting these investments to neighborhood revitalization efforts.
Four key lessons emerged from Baltimore's experience:
-
Different institutional philosophies between education and community development agencies created implementation challenges. While the school district prioritized addressing historical inequities, housing and community development agencies favored investing in areas with greater market potential.
-
High-capacity community organizations proved essential for connecting school improvements to neighborhood development. The Southeast Community Development Corporation successfully integrated community school coordination with broader neighborhood initiatives, while areas lacking strong community organizations struggled to create these connections.
-
School stability requires comprehensive housing strategies that prevent displacement. The Cherry Hill neighborhood case study showed how public housing policy and demographic trends affect school enrollment and facility utilization.
-
Building community trust requires acknowledging historical disinvestment while delivering visible neighborhood improvements. Baltimore's INSPIRE program helped rebuild trust through quick implementation of community-driven projects like pocket parks, sidewalks, and lighting around new schools.
The initiative demonstrates both the challenges and opportunities of using school infrastructure investments as catalysts for community development. While institutional coordination proved complex, Baltimore's experience shows how intentional alignment between school and neighborhood investments can amplify positive outcomes for both education and community development.
FULL STORY: Rebuilding Together: How One Baltimore Program Advanced Both Education and Community Development
A Better Way to Plan School Facilities
Taking a wider view of communities could help keep schools open despite falling enrollment.
Amtrak’s $6 billion tunnel project moves closer to a faster Northeast Corridor
The Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel Replacement Program is Amtrak's largest-ever single infrastructure investment, and will pave the way for more reliable passenger rail service between Baltimore, Washington and Virginia.
Baltimore’s historically-Black communities receive upgraded pools after decades of neglect
Four pools have already been renovated, with a fifth set to open in 2028.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association