Maryland
Speed Bumps Could Do More Than Slow You Down
A technology company in Maryland has developed a speed bump that captures the kinetic energy of the cars driving over it and sends it back into the grid.
Around D.C., Metro Essential for Regional Growth
Reporting on a topic of discussion at the Greening Greater Washington Conference, Neal Peirce expounds on how public transit choices has bolstered regionalism around the nation's capital.
Maryland Lays Out Plan to Combat Sprawl
A large chunk of the state's developed land is designated as low to very low single-family residential, which explains an exceptionally high percentage of workers who commute to work alone. PlanMaryland seeks to change this unsustainable trend.
Down Market is Prime Time for Preservation
Howard County, Maryland's Agricultural Land Preservation Program has taken advantage of the down market to purchase more than 1,000 acres of farmland.
Green Gadget Homes Aimed at Middle Class
Developers in Frederick, ND are aiming to build "green" homes that middle income buyers can afford. The homes are sporting features such as, solar panels, geothermal heating and high-tech computer systems that are typically found in high end homes.
"Egregious Spot Zoning" May Get Veto
Anne Arundel County, Maryland is embroiled in a debate over controversial zoning changes to rural areas that Executive John R. Leopold is calling "egregious spot zoning".
The Smart-Growth Governor
Former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening says that in some ways the economic downturn in the U.S. has been a good thing because it gave the state a chance to reevaluate development patterns.
The Potential for Rail Station Overlay Districts
A House bill in Maryland that would have created overlay districts around train stations failed to pass, but N.J. Slabbert writes that the ideas were solid and should find new life in a different form.
A Detailed Look at a Model TOD
Rockville Town Square in Rockville, Maryland is a 12.5 acre mixed-use development that, despite being built in 2007 right as the housing crisis happened, is a raging success. Simmons Buntin looks at what developers did right.
After Crime, Locals Want to Close Light Rail Stop
In Linthicum Heights, Maryland, a man was beaten in a robbery near the local transit station. Neighbors fear the light rail is a lightning rod for crime and want it closed.
Creating a Network of Open Spaces
The city of Baltimore has a new open space plan it thinks will lead the city to future growth that is smarter, more vibrant, and better overall for its residents.
Leaving a Legacy of Smart Growth
Maryland's Governor O'Malley, heading into his 2nd and last term, wants to leave behind a legacy of environmental improvement, including new smart growth policies to limit building in rural areas.
Bike Projects Create More Jobs Than Road Projects
A new report from the Political Economy Research Institute says that bike and pedestrian projects create 11 to 14 jobs per million dollars spent, while road construction only creates 7 per million.
Smaller Cities Attracting High Tech
Austin, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland have the right stuff to woo the high-tech industry despite their modest size, says Monique Wassenaar Silverio.
West Baltimore's 'Highway to Nowhere' Coming Down
This past Friday, demolition began on a segment of Baltimore's infamous "Highway to Nowhere" to expand parking for the local commuter rail service (MARC). A side benefit: reuniting communities separated since the 1970s.
Suburban Living With Urban Amenities
Bill Fulton visits his family in Rockville, Maryland, and discovers that a young family looking for suburban space can find it within walking distance of the library, the Metro stop, and mixed-use development.
Maglev: Dreaming the Impossible Dream?
The idea of a magnetic levitation train has been bubbling for decades, but has yet to materialize in the U.S. Some say the idea is a pipe dream, but this column from The Baltimore Sun says the idea just needs the right home.
De-Paving and Improving Urban Permeability
A new test program to de-pave the city of Baltimore is turning the soil formerly covered by city school playgrounds. The project is aimed at reducing runoff.
Urban Lifestyle Preference On The Rise
Using the 15-year-old transformation of Rockville, MD's mall-centered downtown to a mixed-use town square as an example, the real estate industry sees the suburban-to-urban lifestyle change spreading across much of the country.
New Development: Always a Good Sign?
Dan Rodricks has been reading a lot of "good news" about new residential building permits being taken out around Baltimore, and questions whether new development is always a good sign.
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
