Preservation Maryland

05/08/2023
By Preservation Maryland

How Communities Across the Country Can Encourage Infill Development

One of the primary goals of the Smart Growth movement is to create density where development already exists, which can prevent sprawl and preserve greenspaces. Smart Growth Maryland is eager to encourage infill redevelopment, which takes underutilized lots and land in urbanized areas and returns them to efficient use. While the concept is straightforward, there are a number of approaches to accomplishing effective infill redevelopment. Read on to find out more about four common initiatives communities across the countries use to encourage infill.

04/27/2023
By Preservation Maryland

TUNE IN: Six Smart Growth Discussions from PreserveCast

Before we delve into the barriers to and incentives for Smart Growth and infill redevelopment in our upcoming blog series, here is a refresher on a simple but important question: What does Smart Growth have to do with Historic Preservation?

04/18/2023
By Preservation Maryland

Smart Growth Maryland Releases Toolkit for Communities

Smart Growth Maryland Releases Toolkit for Advocacy Across the State, talks what’s next for the program

Marylanders often say that the state has it all, from mountains, lakes, and beaches to bustling cities and rich cultural and historic sites. If you grew up here, it might be easy to take this diversity for granted, but in the past 30 years, Maryland has lost more land to development than in the prior 300 years. Development and sprawl can often be incremental; it is difficult to see its impact until greenspaces dwindle or historic downtowns experience two “thousand-year” floods in the span of two years. With the state population predicted to grow by over 500,000 people in the next 17 years, how can Marylanders proactively protect vital natural and cultural resources while creating equitable, sustainable, and resilient communities? Smart Growth policies are one way to achieve this. As a movement, Smart Growth aims to create density in already developed areas in order to protect agricultural, cultural, and natural resources.