|
What is the Green Network Plan?
The Green Network Plan is creating a bold vision for re-imagining
vacant and abandoned properties and transforming them into community assets.
The Plan will include three components:
-
A
city-wide vision plan for creating an interconnected network of
green spaces.
-
Recommendations to
support long-term implementation.
-
Pilot
area greening and development strategies for areas in East, West, and
Southwest Baltimore.
Green Network Plan: Join Us This May!
Public engagement has been central to the Green Network Plan
process.
The planning process will continue with meetings at The American
Brewery Building on May 22nd and
St Benedict Church on May 25th. Participants
will learn about the Focus Area Plans and proposed pilot projects, and will be
invited to provide feedback on the Green Network Vision Plan and
recommendations. This will be the first preview of the Green Network Vision Plan and Visual Glossary for the public.
We hope you will join us for one of these interactive events. Mayor Pugh is scheduled to welcome attendees at the May 25th convening.
Below is a summary of our public engagement efforts to date:
-
In the summer of 2016, the Green Network Plan kicked off with a
public meeting at Mother Seton Academy. Over 130 people provided feedback
on project goals, green space preferences and locations for greening,
demolition, and stabilization of vacant properties.
-
In Fall 2016, 90 people attended meetings at The American Brewery
Building and Lillian Jones Recreation Center. At these meetings,
participants provided their feedback on outdoor green spaces and corridors across
the city where improvements are needed, and barriers to accessing green spaces
in their neighborhood.
-
Throughout Fall 2016 and Spring 2017, meetings were held in East,
West, Central and Southwest Baltimore to develop the Focus Area Plans (see more
below). Additional engagement was led by the architecture firm Ayers Saint
Gross, working with area churches in East Baltimore.
Spotlight on a Pilot Project in the Works in SW Baltimore: Rachael Wilson Firefighter Memorial
Four Baltimore communities are initial Focus Areas for the Green Network
Plan. The first Green Network Plan pilot projects will occur in these areas.
In October of 2016, the Department of Planning held two visioning
charrettes and identified strategies to enhance the green network in the Southwest
Baltimore neighborhoods of Shipley Hill, Boyd-Booth and Carrollton Ridge. A second meeting was held in April 2017 to finalize recommendations.
The first pilot project identified in Boyd Booth is the Racheal
Wilson Firefighter Memorial. The Community Association is interested in
creating a commemorative garden at the 100 block of South Calverton Road to
honor the Fire Fighter/EMT Recruit who passed away in the line of duty.
This Community Managed Open Space would include a fenced area with flower beds,
children’s play space and a neighborhood gathering area.
The Neighborhood
Design Center is working with the community to develop the conceptual design
for the site based on the ideas of the community and Ms. Wilson’s family.
As of May
2017, Forty-two schools (32 public, 10 independent) in Baltimore City are now certified Maryland Green Schools.
The
Maryland Green School Awards Program is a nationally recognized certification
for K-12 schools, led by the Maryland Association for Environmental &
Outdoor Education (MAEOE). Schools that participate in the program empower
youth to lead the charge in reducing environmental impact, promoting
environmental literacy and encouraging community-wide sustainability efforts.
The
Green Schools Program is the regional gold standard for going green. By
“greening” our schools, we provide a healthy environment for both students and
staff, improve academic performance, and save money which can then be spent on
educational resources. Through an environmentally-based education, children can
be taught the impacts behaviors have on their local and global communities, empowering
them to become better stewards of the planet and the future.
This
year, we have four newly certifying schools and another three recertifying for
the first time! Congratulations to our Green Schools — we are so proud of your
leadership! These schools will be celebrated at a state-wide Youth Summit at
Sandy Point State Park on Thursday, May 18th, 2017 from 9am-1pm.
New
Friends
School of Baltimore
Harlem
Park Elementary Middle School
Patterson
High School
Reginald
F. Lewis High School
First
Recertification
Benjamin
Franklin High School
Patterson
Park Public Charter School
Federal
Hill Preparatory School
For more
information, including links to online applications that show in detail what
our schools are doing to green, visit this page on our website.
|
