Worcester County, MD Consolidates Planning Depts.

Due to economic hardship, the Worcester County, Maryland is proposing to consolidate 3 departments into 1, cutting 11 jobs out of 65, just as new codes are coming online. Environmentalists are concerned.

1 minute read

August 6, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


""It [the consolidation] is just too coincidental with new zoning regulations just being made open to the public. The general public is not happy," said Kathy Phillips, who patrols the coastal bays looking for pollution as the "coastkeeper" for the Assateague Coastal Trust. She noted that more than 350 people showed up at a public comment meeting on the draft of the zoning code on June 2, many of them saying they were worried that the county was straying from its 2006 Comprehensive Plan."

Wednesday, August 5, 2009 in Center for Public Integrity

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

November 11, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking and cycling on a street in Boston.

Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking

New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.

November 8, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Mamdani speaks behind a podium in a navy suit.

DSA members accuse Mamdani of 'abandoning values' over housing redevelopment

New York City's mayor plans to replace about 2,000 units of public housing with private, mixed-income housing.

1 hour ago - Gothamist

Streetview of Colorado boulevard, a multi-lane road with trees on either side.

All sides of BRT debate unhappy with CDOT’s most recent move

The Colorado Department of Transportation is no longer considering center-running bus lanes for Colorado Boulevard.

2 hours ago - 9 News

Solar panels above a cranberry boy, with workers collecting berries.

Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries

Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

3 hours ago - Grist

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.