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A Message from the Director

Goodbye 2024! This month we bid adieu to 2024 – a campaign year for City, State and federal elections.  2025 promises new ideas, some good, some bad, for contemplation, debate and change.  Your Planning Department is fully staffed with smart, competent, citizens, most of which live in our great City - and think about it constantly. Next year we will roll out a new web site, which I hope will provide greater transparency and clarity on who we are and how we work.  For all those who have provided guidance to the Office of Sustainability, The Food Policy team, or the Comprehensive Plan we are eternally grateful and even more grateful for the alumni, and the newest class of the Planning Academy, one of which is a newly elected Councilperson! Finally, I want to express my gratitude to our Commissioners on the CHAP, Planning and Sustainability Commissions, our urban design advisors on UDAAP, and the hundreds and hundreds of citizens who participate in community meetings, public hearings and task forces that enrich our thoughts and actions.  We couldn’t do it without you. Happy New Year! Chris Ryer, Director City of Baltimore Department of Planning

Planning News

Welcome to All Our New Staff!

The Department would like to welcome all the new staff that joined during 2024! We are glad to have you and look forward to working with you!!

Planner Chat: Alex Bauer

What area of the city do you serve?    As the Equity and Engagement Planner for the Department of Planning, I’m not geographically focused, rather I support planning efforts across the city. How long have you been with DOP?  I started with DOP in February 2024, so I’m about 10 months on the job now.  What inspired you to pursue a career in city planning?  Prior to DOP, I worked for six years providing program improvement services to a variety of human services and social services programs at the federal, state, and local levels. I did a lot of different types of work in that role, but the thing I loved the most was working directly with the people being served by those programs to identify challenges to service delivery, collaboratively come up with solutions to improve service delivery and outcomes, and work with the participants and staff to implement and test those solutions. Taking this approach better ensured that programs were designed for the people they were serving and moved them away from a transactional relationship to a more transformational one. However, as I did this work, I realized I wanted to be doing it in my community. I’ve lived in Baltimore for 4 years (which I know is short compared to many), and I knew I wanted my work to give back to the City. While my background is not in city planning, I saw the opportunity for a role related to community engagement. I felt like it was the right fit given my work experience and educational background. Now instead of working on social programs, I work to make sure our residents have a voice in the planning process and the future of our city! What are your favorite ways to engage with the community?   I love in person community meetings. Meeting people where they are and hearing from them firsthand is the best way to understand what they want and need. But I’m open to all forms of community engagement, and we work to make sure that there are a range of opportunities to engage with our staff and that are staff have a range of opportunities to engage with residents, whether it’s in person or virtual.   How do you promote equity as a City Planner?  My role is based in understanding the structural and systemic inequities that have led to the current conditions of our city. It’s from that understanding that we are able to make a difference today. I work with our staff to help assess the distribution of capital funds, and make sure they are being allocated to the parts of the City that need them most. I also work to make sure our processes and services are accessible to all residents, regardless of ability and language. Relatedly, we want to make government more transparent, and so, we run something called the Planning Academy – a cohort-based program that educates residents on the basics of city planning and land use. Lastly, I run the Department’s Equity in Planning Committee, which oversees internal equity trainings and initiatives for our staff, to make sure we practice what we preach. What advice would you give anyone interested in becoming a City Planner?  Even if you’re background isn’t in “city planning”, take a look at the job description. We do so many different things at DOP that require so many different skill sets – communications, engagement, data analysis, policy analysis, land use and planning, food planning and security, environmental conservation, and the list goes on. If you’re interested in local government and want a chance to work on a wide range of issues, check out DOPs job listings! What actions do you feel are important for residents to take to engage more with city planners and DOP?   I think we need to be clearer in our materials about who we are and what we do, so that people know when and why to reach out to us. But generally, I would just encourage people to reach out to us. We all love connecting with the residents we serve and are always glad to help!

Time to Update Your Entry in the City's Community Association Directory

Calling all community organization leaders: please take a moment to review and update your entries in the City's Community Association Directory (search/update tab). The Community Association Directory is a tool for residents, agencies, and other interested groups to connect with neighborhood organizations, business associations, and community development corporations. The public listing includes the names of organizational leadership, phone numbers, service boundaries, and, where offered, a schedule of public meetings or other information such as election schedules, bylaws, and areas of interest. Community associations are required to update their entries annually or as changes occur. Registration in the Directory benefits your organization by improving your visibility and ensuring your inclusion in opportunities for resources, such as dumpster days and eligibility for certain grants. Updating the Directory will ensure that City agencies, City Council, residents, and partner organizations have your most current contact information for communication about zoning, development, neighborhood resources, and more. Please review and update your entry in the Directory by no later than March 1, 2025. Please reach out with any questions or for assistance. Thank you!

Medfield Heights INSPIRE Plan Adopted by Planning Commission

On November 7, the Planning Commission adopted the Medfield Heights Elementary School INSPIRE Plan as an official city document. Based on the principles that strong schools make strong communities, and strong communities make strong schools, the INSPIRE plan seeks to apply community and infrastructure improvements in the area around Medfield Heights Elementary School. This is the first community plan centered around the Medfield community in the Northern District; the Department of Planning is excited to work with the community on plan implementation in the future

The City of Baltimore’s 2025 Environmental Offset Grants Program is now accepting applications!

The Office of Sustainability administers a grant program to distribute Critical Area Management Program (CAMP) and Forest Conservation Offset monies to non-profit organizations throughout the city. The grants are intended to fund projects that will restore and expand our tree canopy and urban forests, improve the quality of our waterways, and improve quality of life and habitat in Baltimore. Nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, community associations, and service and civic groups are all eligible to apply. This year, the grant awards will range from $5,000 - $75,000. The deadline to apply is January 17, 2025. Please visit the grant portal to access the application. There will be an information session on Tuesday, December 17th at 2PM – you can register to attend here. If you’d like to learn more about the grant program, please reach out to Rachel Whiteheart or Grace Hansen.

Portal link

Information session registration link 

Employment Opportunities

Community Organizer, City Planner I

The Baltimore City Department of Planning is seeking an experienced community organizer to serve as the community planner for the northeast district. The successful candidate will work with residents and stakeholders to lead planning initiatives, help guide development, and keep constituents informed of all land use matters. They will be expected to cultivate a middle neighborhoods strategy, develop relationships, build leadership, and organize residents around a common goal. 

Capital Budget Supervisor, City Planner Supervisor

A City Planner Supervisor oversees a section engaged in city, environmental or emergency planning projects. Work of this class involves supervising emergency planning and other city-planning personnel. 

Find other opportunities at the link below.

Employment Opportunities

Upcoming Commission Meetings & Events

Commission on Sustainability December Meeting

Wednesday, December 18th from 4pm to 6pm

Sharp Street Lobby of the Baltimore Convention Center (300 South Sharp Street)

Join the Commission on Sustainability each month to learn about initiatives, projects and programs intended to make the city more sustainable, more equitable and more climate resilient! During the final quarter of the year, the Commission will focus on the theme of Climate Action. The December Commission meeting will be hosted in person at the Baltimore Convention Center (BCC), where attendees will hear about the climate and sustainability efforts being made at large public venues in Baltimore and have the opportunity to tour the Baltimore Convention Center to see the BCC's initiatives first-hand. 

REGISTER HERE

Register by December 16th. On site parking is not available. BCC is served by the Charm City Circulator Orange Route, MTA Light Rail, and MTA buses. You can see BCC's website for parking suggestions.

Reimagine Middle Branch Breakout Session

Friday, November 15th, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Please join us for "Reimagine Middle Branch" as part of the Baltimore Together Summit on November 15^th at 11:30am-1pm. 

Learn how we are reimagining 11+ miles of shoreline along the Patapsco River as a network of world-class parks and trails, with programming that connects people, neighborhoods, and nature, and creates new economic opportunities. We will conclude with a tour of Middle Branch Fitness & Wellness and other neighborhood highlights. 

Register to join the session at the following link: Reimagine Middle Branch

Register for the Baltimore Together Summit at the following link: Baltimore Together

We hope to see you there!

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