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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    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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    Reimagining Wilmer's Park
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2022) Adams, Thomas; Akers, Bryce; Contreras, Edenilson; Dashiell, Isiah; Erwin, Abby; Gonzalez, Carlos; Hargrove, Cierra; Jeon, Ryan; Mohan, Madison; Ourand, Matthew; Shelton, Gabrielle; Steuernagle, Emmeline; Thomas-Cogar, Kennedy; Yang, Charlotte; Cakil, Yasemin; Kweon, Byoung-Suk; Seiz, Audrey
    Wilmer’s Park is a “80-acre parcel containing the ruins of a dance hall, motel, ranch house, covered stage, baseball and football fields. As a major stop on the Chitlin Circuit, Wilmer’s Park opened its doors to African-American musicians, entertainers, athletes and fans from the early 1950s through the late 1960s. Arthur Wilmer used his experience and connections developed as the owner of a night club in Washington, D. C. to bring both popular acts and up-and-coming performers to rural Prince George’s County; the bandstand at Wilmer’s Park showcased everyone from Duke Ellington and Otis Redding to the Temptations, Patti La Belle, and a young Stevie Wonder. The former tobacco farm played an important role in exposing emerging musicians to local African Americans during a time of segregation.” The park has been closed for 10+ years and the purpose of this project is to transform Wilmer’s Park for the residents of Brandywine or nearby communities. For this project, students work in teams of three to design a master plan along with an individual detailed site plan. The design program for these plans came from the residents’ comments from community engagement workshops, notes from Councilman Harrison’s interview, important stakeholders, the field trip, and guest lectures. The master plan does not include all 80 acres of the park and often identifies a phasing plan for the entire project.
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    Oxford 2100: Adapting to Climatic Changes
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2021) Ada, Micaela; Callahan, Erin; Reise, Matthew; Shah, Jainee; Sandknop, Erin; Bentley, Daniel; Seiz, Audrey; Mejias, Aliya; Shteinberg, Debrah; Smith, Marci Anne; Myers, David
    This project, supported by the National Center for Smarth Growth’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), provides the Oxford community with a visual glimpse of their newly-imagined port town in the year 2100. Students responded to projected sea level rise of 3.5 feet as identified by the Town of Oxford and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Coastal Planners. In addition to a change in mean sea level, students considered mean higher high water (MHHW) above sea level to explore planning and design-scale interventions to inform Oxford’s strategies on climate-sensitive development. The design of this hypothetical intervention focused on sea level rise, as well related factors such as pluvial hydrology, saltwater intrusion, and storm surge.
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    Greater Baybrook Green Network Plan: A community vision plan for increasing connectivity and enhancing green assets
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2022) Stokes, Bridget; Kweon, Byoung-Suk; Kweon, Byoung-Suk
    The Green Network Plan was designed by determining ongoing investment strategies in the neighborhood, evaluating opportunities and constraints, and analyzing demographics, park equity, environmental justice, and other current site conditions. This green network plan can be used as a guide for creating community priorities for short-term and long-term development related to economic and environmental sustainability. The goal of this Green Network Plan is to enhance and strengthen the community of the Greater Baybrook by connecting the area’s green infrastructure into a unified network of safe and vibrant neighborhoods. It is a Vision Plan for how the neighborhood can enhance its existing natural resources and grow its infrastructure to improve the health and well-being of residents. It has been widely researched that communities with green infrastructure have increased economic, environmental, and social benefits (EPA, 2014). This increased exposure to the natural environment promotes physical health (McCurdy, 2010), mental well-being (Kaplan, 1995), and social connectivity (Jennings, 2019).
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    Incorporating Wifi into Watkins Regional Park
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2022) Accomando, Delaney; Barton, Grace; Cavender, Nicole; Chow, Kianna; Cowley, Deanna; Duary, Rahat; Fan, Elin; Hammet, Bridgette; Hess, Jacob; Kirshenboim, Lital; Liriano, Alondra; Peterson, Luke; Rodrigo, Karisha; Shallbetter, Elise; Stebbins, Zaria; Steele, Alyssa; Xu, Yike; Ziolkowski, Theodore; Kweon, Byoung-Suk
    The need for new approaches to ensure internet access that would bridge society's "digital divide" became evident when instruction shifted online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Project BRIDGE, a UMD project funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to bring free Wi-Fi to public parks while creating technology that could bridge the digital divide and provide internet access to individuals and communities who now struggle to get online. In this studio, students explored community needs by conducting a community engagement session in Watkins Regional Park and then proposing design solutions to accommodate Wi-Fi use in various areas of the park.
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    Engaging High Street, Chestertown MD
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2020) Fann, Audrey; Martin, Bryn; Moody, Kelsey; Ren, Xiaojin; Savio, Hannah; Stokes, Bridget; Myers, David
    Landscape architecture masters students explore the rational site design process at selected project scales with the utilization of GIS as the primary tool. The primary goal of the Chestertown Streetscape Project is to assess the current selected streetscape and offer alternatives with two primary objectives: the reduction of utility lines, and activation of sense of place even with Covid-19 protocols in place. Existing planning documents and design studies are gathered and reported out to understand the context of Chestertown. Students then put forward updated renditions of Chestertown Maryland’s central boulevard, High Street.
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    Pollinator Plants for Stormwater Management
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2021) Figurskey, Adelaide; Orellana, Israel; Pritchett, Elizabeth; Cochran, Diana
    The group of students provided recommendations to M-NCPPC Parks to develop a pollinator plant selection guide for three stormwater management facilities: a parking lot island, a building foundation planting, and an open field. The selection guide included site information for three types of plantings (proper use of stormwater control measures and viewpoints) and plant use facts (environmental metrics and other characteristics) and pictures.
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    New Market Plains Vineyard Redesign
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2018) Wilke, Audrey; Lipka, Evan; Duley, Olivia; Fields, Allison; Manning, Mia; Meilman, Jessica; Pajaro, Heyner; Young, Ryan; Garcia, Catherine; Barnes, Marquis; Smith, Abigail; Schaum, Evan-Claire; Harrington, Maria; Jackson, Jovan; MacSorley, Linda; Remesch, Greg; Greenhawk, Rachel; Nola, Dennis; Ferguson, Katie
    New Market Plains Vineyard is situated on a 260+ acre farm in the town of New Market within Fredrick County, Maryland. The town of New Market and the owners of New Market Plains Vineyard, in coordination with the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) and undergraduate Landscape Architecture students at the University of Maryland, are interested in developing the site to support and expand amenities available to visitors. Because the property has been in the family since its acquisition in 1747, the owners have a strong tie to the land and hope to continually display its historical significance and interpretive natural systems as part of the project, as they expand the event potential and expanded operations of the winery. The town of New Market is interested in promoting tourism and sharing in the rich history of the site. The site is impacted by highway noise, rock outcroppings, invasive plant species and some hydric soils. The attributes include vistas to the surrounding countryside, abundant water supply, meadows, grasslands, forest, elevation and exposure suitable for growing grapes, and excellent public access. To approach this project, four design teams were tasked with identifying the site’s opportunities and constraints with a focus on historic qualities, natural systems, and expanding vineyard operations. Each team expanded on these opportunities and constraints, some placing emphasis on business operations and others on historic value and educational opportunities. Using this analysis of the existing site conditions, the teams developed individual design programs of what elements they felt would best realize the property’s full potential. The teams made two visits to the site over the course of the project, to locate and identify areas of significance to their designs. Halfway through the design process the teams delivered an interim presentation to the vineyard owners; to receive feedback on the direction their work was taking. Using this review the teams completed their final designs, which include a master plan for the site, an enlarged plan for the main winery complex, and a grading plan for a new underground wine storage facility. The size of the site facilitated the implementation of nature trails of varying difficulty, which each team has incorporated in their design. Each individual member of the class also participated in a competition to design the new entry sign for the vineyard. The winning sign was designed by Rachel Greenhawk and is displayed on the cover of this document. Compiled in this booklet are the materials produced by the teams over the duration of this project. The results are a diverse and innovative selection of proposals, with the goal of serving as an examination of possibilities for future development. These designs provide the owners with various suggestions for how to restore their property and to elevate New Market Plains Vineyards into a thriving local destination.
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    Piscataway Valley Greenway
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2019) Gray, Lauren; Jones, Alison; Mallory, Jonathan; Podietz, Emma; Samoray, Christopher; Sullivan, William; Whitley, Yuki; Myers, David N.
    Piscataway Watershed encompasses approximately 67.6 square miles in southern Maryland just north and adjacent to the Mattawoman Watershed. The main stem of Piscataway Creek, centered in the watershed, flows approximately 20 miles from the upper creeks near Rosaryville, Woodyard and Joint Base Andrews west to Piscataway Bay - enframed by Mockley Point on the south and Fort Washington on the north and opening to the Potomac River below Washington, D.C. across from Mt. Vernon, Virgina. Other tributaries within the Piscataway Watershed include Tinkers Creek, Dower House Branch, Burch Branch, Butler Branch and many numerous smaller tributaries. Occupied by humans dating over 4000 years ago, some of the old and new place names include Clinton, Rosaryville, Woodyard, Piscataway, Accokeek, Thrift, Windbrook, Brooke Jane Manor, Cheltenham, Williamsburg Estates, and Fort Washington Forest. Roads spoking from greater DC and more developed middle Prince George’s County mainly cross Piscataway Creek going north to south and include Indian Head Highway, Livingston Road, Piscataway Road, Brandywine Road, Branch Avenue (Route 5) and Surratts Road. Significant parks within or adjacent to Piscataway Watershed include Louise F. Cosca Regional Park (MNCPPC), Fort Washington (NPS), Rosaryville State Park (DNR), and multiple properties that comprise Piscataway Creek Stream Valley Park (MNCPPC). Portions of the originally planned trails proposed in the Prince George’s County Trails Master Plan have been conceptually located along the spine of Piscataway Creek. The main segment of this concept trail from Indian Head Highway to Rosaryville is 99% in the floodplain. In addition, it was conceptualized at a time that some of the development patterns in the watershed had not occurred. The criteria for trail alignment have changed over the decades. Some of the overarching questions as the students explored the project were: ● Should the entire trail or segments of it be realigned out of the floodplain? ● Should there be additional cross trail connections in the scope of work? ● How can we better connect neighborhoods to a proposed trail system? ● How can we encourage hiking to promote health and stewardship?
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    Tree Planting in Prince George’s County, Maryland: Case Studies and Benefits Assessment in Four Parks
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2019) Allen, Tobias; Allsopp, Millie; Burkhardt, Ian; Ebinama, Nnamdi; Escobar, Antonio; Kisakye, Ian; Martin, Bryn; Moody, Kelsey; Pajaro, Heyner; Ren, Xiaojin; Rodrigo, Karisha; Rosales, Ante; Santaella, Diego; Savio, Hannah; Serra, Lucia; Steinthal, Caitlin; Stokes, Bridget; Wellnitz, Shane; Wilke, Audrey; Myers, David N.
    The benefits of trees and forests and the ecosystems services that they provide is well documented. Ecosystems services include carbon sequestration, stormwater retention, water pollution reduction, air pollution retention and others. In addition, tree planting efforts provide numerous social benefits including improvement of community cohesion, increase in social capital, and environmental stewardship and education. In order to provide a greater understanding of tree planting efforts and assessing tree benefits locally, two major project components were undertaken: 1) the research and documentation using case studies of individual tree planting efforts, and 2) assessment of benefits of recent and proposed trees for four selected parks in Prince George’s county.