Maryland Smart Growth

Maryland Smart Growth
Name	Maryland Smart Growth
Type	Policy Initiative
Established	1997
Jurisdiction	Maryland
Related	Smart growth, Urban planning, Sustainable development

Maryland Smart Growth is a statewide policy framework originating in Maryland in the late 20th century that coordinates land use, transportation, and environmental objectives through targeted legislation and incentives. It aligns state agencies such as the Maryland Department of Planning, Maryland Department of Transportation, and Maryland Department of the Environment with local jurisdictions including Baltimore, Montgomery County, Maryland, and Prince George's County, Maryland to direct growth toward defined areas. The initiative builds on precedents from national movements including New Urbanism, Transit-oriented development, and statutes like the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.

Background and Origins

Maryland Smart Growth grew from legislative responses to rapid suburbanization, sprawl, and environmental decline observed in the late 20th century across regions such as Chesapeake Bay watersheds, Annapolis, Maryland, and Southern Maryland. Key actors included elected officials from the Maryland General Assembly, advocacy organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Planning Association, and local governments in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, and Carroll County, Maryland. Influential events and documents that shaped the program included policy debates after the Clean Water Act implementation, regional plans like the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board studies, and reports from commissions chaired by figures connected to Governor Parris Glendening and successors.

Principles and Policy Framework

The framework emphasizes compact development, protection of critical areas including Patuxent River, Susquehanna River, and the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, and coordination among agencies such as the Maryland Energy Administration and Maryland Environmental Service. Policy instruments reflect principles derived from New Urbanism, Form-based codes, and models used by cities like Portland, Oregon and Arlington County, Virginia. Core elements include priority funding areas designated under state law, incentives similar to programs promoted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and alignment with federal programs such as HUD Community Development Block Grants when applicable.

Major Programs and Initiatives

Major components include the Priority Funding Areas program, the Rural Legacy Program, the Program Open Space acquisitions, and transit-oriented development incentives coordinated with projects like Baltimore Metro SubwayLink and the Washington Metro. Conservation efforts have partnered with organizations such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and The Nature Conservancy to protect riparian corridors and farmland in counties including Talbot County, Maryland and Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Initiatives also intersect with workforce and housing policies involving the Maryland Housing Authority, redevelopment projects in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and multimodal transit projects connecting to BWI Airport.

Implementation and Governance

Implementation is overseen by state agencies including the Maryland Department of Planning and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration in coordination with county planning departments in Frederick County, Maryland, Garrett County, Maryland, and municipal governments such as Towson, Maryland and Salisbury, Maryland. Funding streams draw from the state budget approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works, grants managed with federal partners like the Federal Transit Administration, and public–private partnerships that have involved developers who worked on projects in Columbia, Maryland and Owings Mills. Governance mechanisms include interagency memoranda of understanding, county comprehensive plans subject to state review, and advisory input from groups including the Maryland Economic Development Corporation.

Impacts and Outcomes

Evaluations attribute measurable outcomes to the initiative in areas such as reduced loss of farmland in counties like Caroline County, Maryland, improved coordination for projects adjacent to Fort Meade, and contributions to restoration priorities for the Chesapeake Bay under programs connected to the Chesapeake Bay Program. Transportation outcomes include support for transit expansions serving Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area commutes and increased infill development in nodes modeled after Downtown Silver Spring. Economic and social outcomes have been tracked in studies by institutions such as the University of Maryland, College Park and policy centers like the Brookings Institution.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics drawn from academic centers like Johns Hopkins University and advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club and local business associations have argued about trade-offs including limitations on housing supply, effects on property values in jurisdictions like Prince George's County, Maryland, and the efficacy of incentives versus mandates. Controversies have arisen over specific projects near Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and disputes involving county autonomy in places like Wicomico County, Maryland. Legal and political debates engaged entities including the Maryland Court of Appeals and legislative committees of the Maryland General Assembly, reflecting tensions between preservation priorities championed by groups like Historic Annapolis Foundation and development interests active in regions such as Southern Baltimore County.

Category:Urban planning in Maryland