This summer, we had over 270 community residents apply to join the inaugural Planning Academy. Over the month of August, numerous staff pitched in to review applications and develop the curriculum. Our first cohort of 30 resident planners will join us on September 12, and we are excited to kick off this new program. We hope that it continues to strengthen the connections between residents and our Agency.

We are also putting the finishing touches on several plans here at Planning. The Baltimore Green Network Plan, several years in the making, will be finalized this Fall. It is scheduled to be presented to Planning Commission for adoption on September 27th. In addition, the Office of Sustainability is working to complete a draft update of the DP3 Plan. Read more about this plan's importance to Baltimore below, and join the public meetings on the plan THIS week. Final revisions to the updated Baltimore Sustainability Plan are also underway, with final approvals anticipated later in the fall.

Enjoy these final weeks of summer, and stay tuned for further progress updates on the Department of Planning's many initiatives.

Grants of up to $5,000 are now available to homeowners whose primary residence was damaged or destroyed in Baltimore City by regional flooding events which occurred in May 2018. Households must demonstrate ownership of primary residence, and that the home is used as a permanent, year round dwelling.

Applications for this funding must be received by October 31, 2018. In order to apply, contact Keith Ashford with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development at: Keith.Ashford@maryland.gov​​​​​​​​​​​ and visit the website for the Maryland Disaster Relief Housing Program.

On August 15, Smart Growth America announced that Baltimore was one of six cities to receive technical assistance for using small-scale manufacturing as a strategy to create economic opportunity.

Small-scale manufacturing includes microbrewers, prosthetics manufacturers, and yarn makers. Developing this sector can help residents access high paying jobs and economic opportunity close to home.

Baltimore's grant was secured through the efforts of the Made in Baltimore initiative, and its Director Andy Cook. In order to provide job opportunities for low-income residents, Baltimore plans to use this opportunity to help three communities build strategies for preserving affordable production space amid rising residential and commercial demand.

The technical assistance is available through a partnership between Smart Growth America, Recast City and through funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Learn more about Made in Baltimore online on their website!

During the Fort Worthington INSPIRE planning process, school and community stakeholders expressed interest in a community garden near the school, and set their sights on a City-owned, vacant interior lot across from the school. 

Since then, strong leadership by the school and community organization have turned around the lot, as described by Fort Worthington teacher Lexi Wung below. The Department of Planning’s INSPIRE program and Office of Sustainability were happy to contribute by installing a new water line and by working with the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts to release a call for an artist to work with the school and organization to help complete the garden.

According to Lexi Wung, a teacher at Fort Worthington, the Fort Worthington Community Garden is a collaboration between Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School and the Fort Worthington Neighborhood Association. 

Working alongside the scholars and staff at Fort Worthington to make the garden a reality were a multitude of community organizations including: Volunteering Untapped, the Baltimore Tree Trust, United Community Network, and the Baltimore INSPIRE Program. 

There are still raised garden beds available for community members in the area to plant their own fruits and vegetables! For more information, to volunteer, or to get involved, please email Lexi Wung at fortworthingtongarden@gmail.com

Bruna Attila is the Coastal Resources Planner for the Baltimore Office of Sustainability:

Where you are from, what brings you to/brought you to Baltimore?

I am originally from Rio de Janeiro- Brazil, and moved to Baltimore from Virginia in 2008 because my (now) husband lived here. And today, ten years later, I find it hard to imagine myself living anywhere else.

What do you anticipate working on for Planning and the Office of Sustainability this year – what project you are most excited to get going?

I anticipate continuing to work on projects located within the Critical Area of the Chesapeake Bay, and within floodplain areas of the Critical Area. I am also excited to work on the update of the Critical Area Management Program guiding manual for Baltimore City and on the Maritime Master Plan.

Now that we've heard about your current job, what was your first job?

My first job ever was to assist my father in the operations of his auto body shop. I would deal with suppliers and clients, order parts for specific projects, pay invoices, among other administrative tasks. That was a great experience that taught me about responsibility and organization at a very early age- I was only 14 when I started!

Aubrey Germ is the Climate and Resilience Planner for the Baltimore Office of Sustainability:

Where you are from, what brings you to/brought you to Baltimore?

I grew up near Cleveland, Ohio (LeBron who?) and managed to escape the Midwest to attend The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) where I received my BS in Environmental Health Sciences. It was my post-undergrad job with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation that gave me initial exposure to Baltimore and the amazing Chesapeake. This experience is where my love for the Chesapeake Watershed grew strong, and, upon leaving to study urban planning at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, I vowed to find a way to return. It was fate!

What do you anticipate working on for Planning / Sustainability this year – what project you are most excited to get going?

As the Climate and Resilience Planner, I’ve been focusing my time on the 2018 Disaster Preparedness and Planning Project (DP3) update, and will be involved with DP3 plan management and implementation. I will also be working on updating the Climate Action Plan, implementing aspects of the Sustainability Plan, and expanding the Resilience Hub initiative. 

What was your first job (now that we know all about your current job)?

My very first job involved starting a neighborhood lawn mowing service at age 12 to earn money to attend swim camp. I ended up mowing lawns for three summers and managed to put a good amount of money toward camp each year (a strategic move by my parents, that’s for sure).

Kimberley M. Knox, Greening Coordinator for the Baltimore Office of Sustainability:

Where you are from, what brings you to/brought you to Baltimore?

My grandparents lived in Baltimore and I spent some years in Baltimore during my childhood. I always loved Baltimore and I wanted a job to be near Charm City.

What do you anticipate working on for Planning / Sustainability this year – what project you are most excited to get going?

I am looking forward to moving the four Green Network Focus Area pilot projects (Racheal Wilson Memorial Park, Druid Square, Smithson Park and Harlem Park Inner Blocks), so the residents can see their vision to become a reality and enjoy beautiful green spaces in their neighborhood.

What was your first job?

Besides waitressing at various restaurants, my first job out of college was as a Girl Scout District executive where I worked with Girl Scout leaders in a large area in the Midwest.