National Center for Smart Growth

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21472

The National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) works to advance the notion that research, collaboration, engagement and thoughtful policy development hold the key to a smarter and more sustainable approach to urban and regional development. NCSG is based at the University of Maryland, College Park, housed under the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, with support from the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the School of Public Policy, and the Office of the Provost.

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End date: 2024Subject: search.filters.subject.Maryland

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    Understanding and Improving Anacostia Watershed Water Quality
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Andrelchik, Amy; Hunter, Alexis; Hurtado Olson, Aziz; Hyde, Rebecca; Majadly, Ahlam; Moats, Rachel; Morton,Caroline; Pasternak, Barrie; Phan, Que; Pulley, Anna; Reitenbach, Claire; Touray, Fatoumata Wesley Wiggins, Jasmine Wilkins; Goldstein, Rachel Rosenberg Ph.D., MPH,
    The Anacostia River Watershed is an often-overlooked watershed in the backyard of the nation’s capital. While water quality has improved throughout the rest of the United States, the Anacostia Watershed has continued to have poor water quality, including the presence of fecal indicator bacteria that suggest the presence of other disease-causing microorganisms (pathogens). Although it’s not used for drinking water, the presence of pathogens in the Anacostia River is a public health concern as this waterbody is used recreationally and for fishing by a wide group of users, including the largely BIPOC communities that live in the watershed’s communities. Students in MIEH 600 (Foundations of Environmental Health), an introductory graduate course in the University of Maryland School of Public Health, were given the opportunity to examine priority issues identified by the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS): the impact of pet waste and vessel waste on the Anacostia River. Students applied quantitative and communication skills in two assignments: an environmental health fact sheet and a water sample report. Four students chose to create fact sheets and accompanying PowerPoint presentations. All fourteen students participated in water sampling, analysis, and water sample report preparation.
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    Collington Square Play Space
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Austin, Caleb; Bajana, Juan; Barresi, Isabella; Choi, Yune Elia; Darago, Bianca; Francisco, Liliana; Giray, Grazelle; Guerrero-Osorio, Gracie; Howell, Wyatt; Hruby, Calvin; Kinsey, Rachel; Le, Christina; Mallow, Joe; Mao, Zhenkai; Phan, David; Rachman, Tiara; Shi, Liangjie (Alan); Kweon, Byoung-Suk
    Collington Square Play Space is located in the Broadway East Community in Baltimore, which belongs to Maryland Legislative House District 45. It is also located next to Collington Square (CS) Elementary School, CS Recreation and CS Park. It is currently designed as a play space. However, there is only a broken swing set and rundown play structure in the play space. For this assignment, students were asked to redesign the Collington Square Play Space. Students were asked to develop design solutions that: • Provided good trees that give shade and combat heat island effect • Incorporated more swings • Provided more lighting for night • Created a smart park with digital access for children • Provided a social gathering space for picnics • Provided an opportunity for children to ride their bikes • Addressed residents’ concerns about safety • Improved stormwater treatment • Added ADA Accessibility to the Park
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    Visioning Lakeland: Restorative Justice Through Scenario Planning
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Abel, Paul; Anderson, Alanna; Elson, Jona; Gebru, Dominique; Hauodi, Salma; Islam, Anonnya; Islam, Maisha; Jamero, Samantha; Jones, Asia; Lee, Jihee; Ravert, Megan; Sanford, Mimi; Seyedebrahimi, Ebrahim; Tram, Judy; Walker, Emma; Woods, Kayla; Irazábal Zurita, Clara E. , Arch., M.Sc., M.Arch., Ph.D.
    Lakeland is a vibrant historically African American community in College Park that has faced the lasting consequences of decades of discriminatory policies and neglect. From the era of forced segregation to the devastating impacts of urban renewal and now the pressures of gentrification, Lakelanders have been denied equitable access to resources and opportunities enjoyed by neighboring communities. Despite these challenges, generations have persevered, demonstrating unwavering resilience and determination. This studio explored the potential pathways to persist and attain restorative justice using scenario planning to envision Lakeland’s future in 2033. By investigating the opportunities and challenges that present themselves through status quo, reformist, and revolutionary scenarios, the resulting proposals and strategies give insight into the ways in which restorative justice can be achieved. By envisioning 2033 Lakeland scenarios through the lens of three primary themes—housing and land use, community infrastructure, and climate change mitigation and adaptation—this report addresses key indicators in each theme to inform the City of College Park, the Restorative Justice Commission, and other Lakeland organizations on methods and strategies to achieve each vision, or what will happen if action is not taken.
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    Geophysical survey of Emory Grove United Methodist Church parking lot using ground-penetrating radar
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Herbert, Genevieve; Jones, Shannan; Pedersen, Matthew; Udell-Lopez, Kathrine; Schmerr, Nicholas
    Project Background and Objectives In 1864, freed African Americans founded the Emory Grove community in Gaithersburg, Maryland. For about 100 years, since its inception, this community was vibrant and close-knit. At its height, Emory Grove was 300 acres and home to roughly 500 residents. The Emory Grove community hosted Methodist gatherings, called “camp meetings.” During the 1960s and 1970s, urban renewal led to the destruction of this once spirited community. With the goal of reestablishing community cohesion, Montgomery County’s Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) and the Emory Grove United Methodist Church envision a redevelopment project known as Heritage Emory Grove (HEG). This plan centers redevelopment efforts around the Emory Grove United Methodist Church and prioritizes historic programming and cultural amenities. The issue with the redevelopment is predominantly associated with the unmarked graves around the church and nearby cemetery that have been lost over time. Before proceeding with the redevelopment, local officials and community members want to ensure that any unmarked graves in the vicinity are identified and properly marked to avoid disturbing them during the redevelopment process. The objective of this study is to conduct a geophysical survey of the church parking lot and yard area (from hereafter referred to as the “landscaped area”) using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Ground-penetrating radar is a non-intrusive method of surveying the shallow subsurface to investigate underground structures. It uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band frequencies of the radio spectrum to detect reflected signals from subsurface structures. It is typically used for the investigation of buried utilities such as pipes, cables, masonry, asphalt, and metals, and will be invaluable in locating and identifying potential unmarked gravesites. Geological Context Montgomery County has varying geology depending on the region (Singewald et al., 1953). The central portion of the county is made up of Ijamsville phyllite, the Wissahickon formation, and the Sykesville formation. Gaithersburg is situated in a region of predominantly Wissahickon formation (i.e., banded, or laminated quartz-rich phyllites and schists containing magnetite quartz veins), but Emory Grove is situated on a strip of serpentine bedrock. The soil makeup is as diverse as the region within the Piedmont Plateau, which has experienced deep stream valley incisions and complex structural geomorphology that has resisted erosion (Maryland Dept. of State Planning, 1973).
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    Long Branch Dashboard
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Liu, Andrew; Ojegun, Tega; Salmeron,Eric; Sombat, Harvey; Stuart, Jacob; Rainsford, TJ
    In conjunction with the UMD iConsultancy and the INST490 staff, we partnered with CHEER (Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research) to create a Long Branch community dashboard. CHEER is a community-driven, non-profit organization focused on serving communities across Maryland. The organization works with communities by identifying their essential needs and goals. For this project, CHEER needed assistance in developing key performance indicators that accurately aligned with goals for the Long Branch community. We were asked to create an all-encompassing dashboard using CHEER’s identified goals and publicly available datasets to show precise key performance metrics and potential solutions to community issues. After reviewing the scope of work, we met with CHEER and Long Branch representative, Reemberto Rodriguez. Rodriguez was our main contact in the organization throughout the semester and participated in most meetings throughout the semester. He outlined project deliverables and provided documentation and additional datasets that gave insight into the Long Branch community and its issues. He also highlighted many of CHEER’s stakeholder goals: equitable food, affordable housing, neighborhood attractiveness, parking, public safety, and affordable business. Rodriguez emphasized that the final deliverable should focus on as many of these goals as possible. Throughout the semester, we discussed different formats for the final deliverable. In the early stages, we planned to create our dashboard using CHEER-provided software. This idea never came to fruition, and Rodriguez suggested a simple Google document that could serve as an infographic for the community. This method would reduce the dashboard’s interactability and wouldn’t be as intuitive for Long Branch community members. We agreed to create the dashboard using Google Sites, a tool that allows users to create their own web pages through Google Cloud. This approach accommodates embedded, interactable data visualizations and other key point measures that represent the community. This platform enabled us to focus on CHEER’s identified goals and make an intuitive and sustainable tool that serves the Long Branch community.
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    Ground Penetrating Radar Survey at Emory Grove Cemetery
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Islam, Aniqa; Perry, Megan; Shahid, Saffat; Schmerr, Nicholas
    Research Objective: The objective of this survey is to use a non-invasive method to determine if and where unmarked graves may be at the Emory Grove Cemetery. Current redevelopment proposals require the Montgomery County Planning Department to be aware of the indistinctive burial sites to prevent disturbing the graves during construction. The Emory Grove United Methodist Church officials would also like to know their locations to properly identify the graves and to determine whether the cemetery must be shut down or if there is space for further burials. Geological Context: The Maryland Geological Survey cross section in Figure 1 shows the site lies above the Mather Gorge Formation, placed during the Lower Cambrian and/or Neoproterozoic period. This more than 800 feet continuous formation of quartz-mica schist interlayered with quartzitic metagraywacke is near the Blockhouse Point Fault, an unknown fault type. While the metagraywacke is subordinate, it is more visible as it has a higher resistance to weathering than the dominant schist [1].
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    15 Minute Neighborhoods in College Park, Maryland
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2024-05) Anderson, Alanna; Arazi, David; Attipoe, Senam; Elson, Jona; Goode, Maeghen; Jones, Asia; Malhotra, Aarushi; Provolo, Emmanuelle; Ravert, Megan; Sanabia, Rafael; Sanford, Mimi; Santana, Ariana; Thorpe, Carey; Walker, Emma; Woods, Kayla; Elzoghbi, Riem
    The Department of Planning and Community Development in the City of College Park, Maryland is exploring the concept of a 15 Minute City to facilitate the creation of amenity-rich, easily accessible neighborhoods throughout the community. A 15 Minute City is an urban planning concept used to describe a city in which amenities and services - such as retail, education, social services, recreation, employment, and other needs - may be easily accessed within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or commute by public transport from any point in the city. The urban fabrics of such cities incorporate a wide range of mixed-use developments, bike and pedestrian-friendly streets and paths, easily accessible public spaces, public transportation, and other interventions to create relatively denser, walkable, livable neighborhoods. The goal is to create neighborhoods in which residents, particularly residents for whom mobility may be restricted due to cost, disability, time, and other constraints, may satisfy their everyday needs within their existing neighborhoods. 15 Minute Cities are posited to increase equity by making accessible amenities and services within neighborhoods, reduce car-dependency, promote sustainability, healthy lifestyles, and aging in place, improve social relations, and generally improve the quality of life within communities. In partnership with the Department of Planning and Community Development, student planners in the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation investigated and provided recommendations on ways in which existing neighborhoods in College Park may be transformed into 15 Minute Cities. The project was conducted during Spring Semester 2024 as part of the graduate-level URSP673 Community Development course, under the guidance of Dr. Riem ElZoghbi.
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    Implementing a Bike Ambassador Program on the UMD Campus
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2024-05) Dhar, Riya; Kujan, Aidan; Remler, Caitlin; Sanders, Martin
    Cycling has become an increasingly popular mode of transportation on college campuses, as it facilitates a more sustainable commute and reduces travel costs. However, the increase in cycling has also made it clear that many students are unaware of the rules, which has led to an increase in traffic incidents. This report analyzes the problem elements: information asymmetries between campus and students about cycling, negative externalities due to avoidable accidents caused by cyclists, and the ever-changing cycling culture on campus. The report suggests a bike ambassador program and examines three essential program aspects: its purpose, funding sources, and ambassador activities. The program’s purpose would be to promote bike safety, increase ridership responsibility, and advocate for improved cycling infrastructure. Potential funding sources include the Pepsi Enhancement Fund, Launch UMD, and UMD Sustainability grants could help sustain the program. Among ambassador duties, mentorship of cyclists, training cyclists, advocacy, and holding informational events would be the most effective.
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    Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Customer Journey Mapping & Information Workflow Improvement
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2024-05) Carpio, Elissa; Chandrashekar, Dharini; Gupta, Priyanka; Hao, Hilda; Niemeier, Claire; Lutters, Wayne
    The Montgomery County, Maryland Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is responsible for trash and recycling services across the county including the management and distribution of trash and recycling bins and carts. Requests for new or replacement bins and carts are first processed through the county’s service desk operations (MC311) and then provided to the team responsible for product delivery. This information must then be manually manipulated and outputted to staff members and contractors to organize, schedule, and process deliveries and pickups. The manual workflow processes and limited technology integration create process inefficiencies leading to suboptimal customer satisfaction.
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    Terps for Bike Lanes Improved Data Collection and Aggregation Strategy
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2024-05) Hanssen, Noah; Veras, Felipe; Volman, Simone; Sanders, Martin
    At the University of Maryland (UMD), Terps for Bike Lanes is a student-led organization that advocates for on-campus biking policy and infrastructure changes through conversations with UMD administration and the Student Government Association. Their advocacy efforts have been inhibited by challenges in collecting reliable and statistically significant data regarding on-campus bicycle incidents. The goal of this research is to identify the best data collection practices for bicycle incidents on college campuses. Prior research has shown that a mixed-methods approach—using a combination of surveys, formal reports, and interviews—is the best practice for collecting comprehensive quantifiable data while controlling for the effects of underreporting and selection bias. This report identifies three categories of relevant actors: bike advocates, those who collect information on bicycle incidents at UMD, and those who collect data from UMD students. We investigated their data collection methodologies and found that all used reporting forms with key similarities: multiple-choice questions for key data points, broad answer choices with the option to increase specificity, and an option for respondents to provide additional detail or follow-up. At UMD, census-sampled surveys with incentives for respondents were also used to supplement research on a particular topic. These findings suggest Terps for Bike Lanes can improve their advocacy efforts by adopting a holistic mixed-methods data collection approach that includes an updated reporting form, conducting a campus-wide survey about biking and safety, and conducting interviews and focus groups to gain further information.