Join the 5th Cohort and Connect with Your Community
In October, the 4th cohort of the Planning Academy concluded with a virtual celebration. The group of nearly 30 participants brings the number of total Baltimore residents that have participated in the program to over 100.
The Planning Academy is a free six-week course with a focus on building community leadership around urban planning, zoning, and development in Baltimore. The course is unique in its laser focus on the functions of zoning and the process of development, and its emphasis on small group learning and community building across neighborhoods.
This Fall, the course went virtual due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite these challenges, our participants remained engaged and involved. We were also able to offer one socially distanced tour of the Pump House development in East Baltimore and a new feature - an introduction to real estate finance courtesy of our friends at Harbour Bank CDC.
We will be recruiting for the 5th cohort, with applications open between November 30 and December 14. Please consider sharing with your friends and family!
You may learn more about the Planning Academy experience and curriculum https://planning.baltimorecity.gov/PlanningAcademy.
And you may send your friends and family to apply on www.baltimoreplanningacademy.com - look for the button on the top right of the page!
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On November 19, 2020 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, the Department of Planning will host a public meeting via WebEx regarding upcoming signage regulation amendments to the Zoning Code.
In 2018, the Department of Planning spearheaded an effort to rewrite Title 17 of the Zoning Code of Baltimore City, which resulted in City Council Ordinance 18-216 (CCB #18-0272) Zoning - Sign Regulations.
The new signage regulations took effect in January 2019. This ordinance reflected a complete review and reorganization of Title 17 from the 2016 Zoning Code rewrite that was enacted in June 2017. Since that time, the Department has been evaluating the efficacy of those changes.
Based on experience and informal user feedback, the Department is drafting a set of amendments to Title 17 to be introduced in 2021. We invite you to hear what we’ve come up with and give us your comments and ideas.
You may join by computer or smartphone via this WebEx Link. The Meeting password is plan.
Further background information is available via this website.
If you have any questions please contact tamara.woods@baltimorecity.gov
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John Lloyd joined the Department of Planning in September 2020. Mr. Lloyd will be working closely with our Capital Improvement Program team. A capital improvement is a long-term investment, typically in physical infrastructure, such as roads, monuments, public buildings, parks, or art. Each year, the Planning Department works with the various City agencies to prepare and present a six-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the Board of Estimates.
He is responsible for the implementation of new processes that will provide the Department of Planning and Finance insight into agency-level information about the city’s assets. This data will allow Planning to assess capital projects and ensure that funding decisions are supported by sound data.
Before joining Baltimore City, John worked for over twenty years as a national wireless carrier project manager. He also served proudly in the United States Army. John is originally from Washington, DC, but he has called Baltimore his home for the past twenty years. He enjoys Marathoning, Weightlifting and is an automotive enthusiast. John is a proud graduate of Morgan State University.
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News from the Office of Sustainability: Grant Will Expand Resiliency Hubs in Baltimore
Climate change is a growing threat and Baltimore is responding. Disasters and severe weather events disproportionately impact communities of color and historically underserved neighborhoods across the city.
Baltimore's Office of Sustainability has been a leader in organizing Resiliency Hubs across the City. The Resiliency Hubs (see map below for current locations) are run by trusted community organizations where community members can access reliable power for their essential devices and continue to receive information as disruptive events — such as extreme weather and power outages — unfold.
Through the FY20 Resilient Maryland pilot incentive program, Groundswell, the Baltimore Office of Sustainability, and partners received a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to identify and evaluate renewable power systems for potential Resiliency Hub sites. The team has secured funding to evaluate and design up to 30 different Resiliency Hubs throughout Baltimore City.
The team is seeking churches, community centers, and other organizations in Baltimore to partner with us and potentially serve as community Resiliency Hubs under this grant.
If you are interested, contact Aubrey Germ at the Office of Sustainability at aubrey.germ@baltimorecity.gov.
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