Maryland
An App for Outsmarting Meter Maids
As applications proliferate that take advantage of open data, it's becoming clear that some may be counterproductive for a city's bottom line. Take SpotAgent, for example, the new tool in the "technological arms race of urban parking."
Enliven Nightlife to Attract Millenials
Montgomery County wants to be the life of the party. To do so, it's establishing a special taskforce to boost its nighttime economy and attract millenials, reports Bill Turque.
Another D.C. Suburb Aims to Densify
The D.C. suburbs seem to be fertile ground for some of the nation's most ambitious retrofit projects. The latest plan to be made public would transform a 1950's era apartment and retail complex in Silver Spring, reports Jonathan O'Connell.
State Gas Tax Outlook Grim - Or Is It?
Two articles from non-profit organizations - a think tank and an advocacy group, seemingly arrive at the same conclusion: the future of the state gas tax is grim due to lack of political will to raise it. However, some states are bucking the trend.
'Fabricated' Letters of Support Dog DC Area Redevelopment
An effort to bring jobs and the first Whole Foods to Prince George's County confronts rezoning debates and backhanded tactics.
6 Easy Ways to Make a City More Livable
Baltimore has a lot of bold ideas for changing the face of the city. While we wait for them to happen, why not implement some simple solutions for making the city more livable, proposes Mark R. Brown, AICP.
Creating a Defined Urban Core Just Outside the Nation's Capitol
Montgomery County planner John Marcolin details the ongoing creation of an urban core in Silver Spring, Maryland, the thriving unincorporated area just northeast of Washington, D.C.
Vote for America's Worst Intersection
Our friends at Streetsblog are hunting for the worst intersection in America. Help them decide from among a host of qualified entries.
Vacant Homes Plague D.C. Suburbs
Even in the Washington D.C. region, which survived the Great Recession with one of the strongest economies in the country, foreclosed and vacant homes are a stubborn presence in many neighborhoods, including affluent ones.
Maryland Makes Progress on Bike Infrastructure Improvements
From bicycle planning to mapping to infrastructure expansion, counties and cities throughout the state are pushing forward with efforts to increase bicycling opportunities, reports Candy Thomson.
After Decades of False Starts, Redevelopment Comes to a Historic Baltimore Neighborhood
Along Baltimore's waterfront, the Fells Point neighborhood has long been a popular destination for late night entertainment. New residential and commercial developments signal a rebirth of the historic neighborhood as a thriving urban community.
Would Building an Outer Beltway Around D.C. Save the Planet?
Some highway advocates in the suburbs surrounding Washington, DC think that building an outer Beltway through Northern Virginia will be beneficial to the planet. Others disagree.
Do You Believe in an Architectural Afterlife?
Using Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, which was demolished in 2001, as a case study, Keith Eggener argues that the life of a building isn't confined to its physical presence as a whole object.
What Happens When Transit Doesn't Bring Expected Development
Just outside of D.C., the Capitol Heights Metro station sits among empty parcels with brown grass and tall weeds, as the economic development that was to accompany the station never materialized. Will a proposed Wall-Mart come to the area's rescue?
Plans for Baltimore Bike-Share Hit the Brakes
Unable to secure enough local sponsorship to move forward with implementation, bike-sharing company B-Cycle has abandoned plans to build Baltimore's first bike-sharing program, reports Ron Cassie.
Plan to Heal Baltimore's Harbor Encounters Opposition from Officials
A local marina owner's plan to build a floating marsh in Baltimore's Inner Harbor to help clean up the city's main tourist attraction is being viewed skeptically by officials, who have raised a number of questions and concerns.
Baltimore Seeks to Grow Its Melting Pot
In stark contrast to recent laws targeting immigrants in Arizona and Alabama, Baltimore is joining a host of other (largely rust belt) cities in designing policies and programs to attract immigrants in order to stabilize their populations.
Can D.C. Afford to Put Power Lines Underground?
It all depends on who you ask, argues David Alpert. Ratepayers have pushed for buried lines before; now, there's reason to doubt it would cost as much as the utility company once quoted them.
Developer Switches Sides, Becomes Planning Director
John Schlichting has been a developer for 26 years, but on July 9th he leaves private business to become the planning director for the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Baltimore Considers Freeway Removal
Although those at the top of the city's political pyramid have been mum about the fate of the Jones Falls Expressway, which just turned 50 years old, a group of Baltimore's entrepreneurs are pushing to rethink the area now occupied by the roadway.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
