Healing Places

Abstract

The earth and its inhabitants are experiencing a rapid decline in physical, mental, social, and environmental health. The built environment directly affects each of these factors, and therefore has the ability to improve them. Baltimore City, Maryland is a clear example of the dialectic relationship between a built environment and its community. Plagued by vacant and dilapidated buildings, raging crime rates, inequality and divisiveness, and poor physical and social health, Baltimore City is in dire need of regeneration. This thesis proposes an urban intervention in Oldtown, Baltimore City, Maryland that employs active design, sustainable design, and specialized programming to alleviate the specific health, social, and environmental problems of this community. This thesis ultimately asserts that healing social and environmental issues can start with healing the built environment.