Climate change has induced more extreme weather in recent years and Harford County and the surrounding region has experienced more frequent and intense storms. Flooding in Harford County, caused by the increase in storms, generated many instances of roads washing out, which have caused severe damage and created unsafe driving conditions. The issue has necessitated […]
University Department: Urban Studies Program
Road Segment Risk Assessment: Harford County, Maryland
The Department of Public Works in Harford County has requested road segments at risk of erosion be identified for preventive maintenance application. The final deliverable for this project will be a map, data, and report categorizing the risk levels along with a list of the most at- risk road segments. A Hot Spot Analysis identifying […]
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Streambank and Road Erosion in Harford County
As part of the Fall 2018 URSP 688L Planning Technology class, students from the graduate Community Planning program at the University of Maryland worked with the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program to use applied computer mapping tools to address a streambank erosion project in Harford County, Maryland. Working with ArcGIS, our team […]
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Transit-Oriented Development and Affordable Housing in Prince George’s County: A Case Study-Based Approach
Prince George’s County is eager to activate and capitalize on some of its greatest assets, i.e. its Metro stations, by attracting dense transit-oriented development projects to the county. However, this poses a serious risk of displacement to many of the station areas’ existing residents and has the potential to limit accessibility for potential future low-to-moderate […]
The Harford County Artistic Destination Map
In September 2018, Greg Pizzuto, Director of Tourism for Harford County, Maryland gave a presentation of the county’s tourism information as shown on their website: https://visitharford.com. The county is exploring tourism-related initiatives but also seeking additional help in innovative ideas and methods to present areas of interest to the public. Through the Partnership for Action […]
All Dogs Go to Prince George’s County: Finding a Home for a Second Animal Services Facility
As a continuation of the Fall 2017 PALS project, Spring 2018 semester students from the community planning and engineering programs used advanced computer mapping tools (geographic information system, or GIS) to provide Prince George’s County with potential sites to build a second animal shelter. The team attempted to find land that the county already owned, […]
Visualizing Recreational Trails: Montgomery County, Maryland
At the request of the Montgomery County Department of Parks, eight county recreation trails were visualized via 360° photos and video, to help develop a state-of-the-art bike stress index tailored toward mountain bike trails. Using the Google Street View platform to publish photos online as well as several GIS open-source datasets and analytic tools, approximately […]
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Exploring the Safe Routes to School Program: Feasibility of Using an Active Mode of Transportation to and from School in Prince George’s County, Maryland
Safe Routes to School (SR2S) is a program that promotes student health by encouraging an active mode of transportation. “The Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s mission is to advance safe walking and bicycling to and from schools, and in daily life, to improve the health and well-being of America’s children and to foster the […]
Silver Spring Civic Building and Veteran’s Plaza Economic Impact Analysis FY-2017
The Silver Spring Regional Center sought a report detailing the economic and fiscal impacts of the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veteran’s Plaza (SSCB) on Montgomery County’s economy in 2017. The SSCB is an indoor community facility for events, festivals, trade shows, conferences and conventions, and other activities available to county residents and out-of-town groups. […]
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Park Supply and Demand Part II: Downtown Silver Spring
As Downtown Silver Spring continues to urbanize, it becomes increasingly important to provide its residents and workforce with adequate recreational space. In conjunction with the the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), this report investigates which areas of Downtown Silver Spring are adequately served by parks and those that lack robust access to […]
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