GREEN NETWORK PLAN

Greater Baltimore Committee Meeting June 18, 2016

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The Context

Existing City Greenspace Network

Opportunity to Expand the City’s Greenspace Network

Mayoral Initiatives

• Department of Housing & Community Development

• Support and incentivize redevelopment, streamline code enforcement and disposition, targeted demolition of severely distressed blocks, promote creative reuse of vacant properties

Mayoral Initiatives

• Department of Planning • Sustainable, innovative,

and cost-effective practices for stabilizing and holding land for redevelopment, greening neighborhoods, reducing runoff, growing food, and creating community spaces.

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GGI Competition Sites

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GGI Competition Sites

33rd St. & Harford Rd. - Before

33rd St. & Harford Rd. - After

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GGI Competition Sites

Druid Hill Avenue Peace Park - After

2033 Druid Hill Avenue - Before

Druid Hill Avenue Peace Park - After

Green Network Proposal

• FY2016 Budget Enhancement Proposal • $200,000 for project support • 1 Project Manager position

• Make efficient use of existing resources and leverage additional resources

• Coordinate with other initiatives, projects, and partners to achieve greater benefits

Green Network Plan Opportunity • Create a bold vision to transform

vacant and abandoned properties into community assets.

• Provide a blueprint for turning selected

vacant properties into parks, gardens, urban farms, open space and future development sites to benefit residents, promote economic development and make Baltimore communities more connected and sustainable.

• Coordinate with other partners and

initiatives to create multiple benefits and leverage resources.

Green Network Partners

Visualizing the Green Network

Thinking Beyond Baltimore

Lynchburg, VA

Chicago, Illinois

Thinking Beyond Baltimore

Detroit, Michigan

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Thinking Beyond Baltimore

City, State Atlanta, Georgia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Coordination with Project C.O.R.E.

Project C.O.R.E. Purpose & Goals

Encouraging Investment:

• Opportunities for Green Space

• Opportunities for New Commercial Development

• Opportunities for New Housing

• Opportunity for Job Creation and Training

Project C.O.R.E. Goals

Goal 1: To support community growth in Baltimore City.

Goal 2: To eliminate in a strategic manner as many full blocks of blight as possible.

Goal 3: To encourage investment in Project C.O.R.E. communities through attractive financing and other incentives.

Project C.O.R.E. Funding

• Project C.O.R.E. is being implemented over a four-year period, from 2016 through 2019

• DHCD anticipates that a total of $75 million of Project C.O.R.E. Funding will be available

• $600 million of additional financing through programs administered by DHCD

Demolition & Stabilization Funding

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State Funds

Federal Funds

City Funds

*Amount in Thousands

FY 2010 – FY 2019 Funding ~ $195 Million

Green Network Timeline G

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Public Meeting -

June 15th Public Meeting - Late September

Public Meeting - Early December

Comment Period -

Early February

Public Meeting - Late February

Outreach & Engagement

• Advisory Team Meetings – May & June • Green Network Public Meeting - June 15th • Project CORE Public Meeting – June 29th

June 15th Public Meeting

Public Meeting Feedback

• Inclusive & transparent process • Support jobs for residents & youth • Connect youth/schools to environmental education, green

spaces and stewardship opportunities • Provide spaces for recreation, food production,

stormwater management, & wildlife habitat • Better, safer connections for pedestrians, bicyclists and

transit riders • Create clean, attractive, safe, and low maintenance spaces • Support resident & community involvement in design and

implementation of all projects

Public Meeting Feedback

Mapping Activity Results • 2 Stations

• Green Network & Vacant Lots

• Demolition & Stabilization of Vacant Buildings

• Results • 191 points contributed • 68 Green Network/Vacant

Lot Points • 49 Demolition Points • 74 Stabilization Points

Draft Goals

Framework • Vision • Guiding Principles (Equity) • Goals • Objectives

3 Goal Themes • Environment & Ecology • Economic Opportunity • Quality of Life & Connectivity

• Health & Wellness • Education & Stewardship • Connectivity

Draft Goals

Vision A bold and implementable plan for an urban green network that connects and supports the residents of the City of Baltimore and creates a system of healthy, vibrant and resilient places.

Goals 1. Protect and enhance the unique ecological resources of our city 2. Support economic growth and sustainable redevelopment of vacant

lands across the city 3. Improve the quality of life of city residents and strengthen the social

fabric of our community • Improve and support health and wellness of city residents • Educate about the benefits and function of natural resources • Provide safe access throughout the city

Green Network Site Suitability St

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Existing Green Network Elements

Opportunity Locations

Lens of Opportunity

Public Input Mapping

Landscape Level Analysis and

Suitability

Step 1: Map Existing Green Network Elements

ECOLOGY

Existing streams and wetlands Forest

Tree-lined boulevards RTE species locations

OPEN SPACES

Trails Nature centers Adopt-a-lots Pocket parks

Athletic fields Golf courses City parks University campuses

TRANSPORTATION

Existing bike lanes Existing designated bike routes Existing paved trails

Existing rails to trails loop Rail stations

LIVABILITY (EQUITY AND ECONOMY) Schools Recreational centers Commercial nodes/corridors/centers

Libraries Neighborhood plans Housing typology

Step 2: Map Site Suitability Criteria – Opportunity Locations

OPPORTUNITY LOCATIONS (Adjacencies or Relational Presence)

Vacant and abandoned housing (aggregated when adjacent)

Vacant and abandoned Lots

Publicly-owned properties

Demolition priority locations

WIP priority zones

Vacants-to-Value clusters

Step 3: Map Site Suitability Criteria – Lens of Opportunity

LENS OF OPPORTUNITIES

Neighborhood boundaries

Watershed boundaries

Weak market potential

Critical Area

WIP priority locations

Stream buffers

Historic streams and wetlands

Floodplain

1904 Olmsted plan layers for parks, open space, forests, waterways, trails and greenways

Step 4: Landscape Level Analysis and Suitability

Landscape level analysis and

suitability to come after

review of the mapping listed

above

Step 5: Overlay Public Input Mapping

Ground truth the site suitability mapping

with locations identified by the public

Green Network Plan Sub-Committees

To support the consultant team and to further the goals of the GNP, we’ve created four subcommittees:

• Outreach and Engagement • Land Use and Community Planning • Funding and Financing • Implementation

Outreach & Engagement

Purpose Assist the Planning and Consultant Teams with designing the overall communications and public outreach strategy. This will include providing feedback on the engagement methods, format and agenda for each meeting, ideas on developing an on-line presence with a website and social media, and providing input on a media strategy. Staff Anne Draddy Brent Flickinger

Land Use & Community Planning

Purpose Develop preliminary land use plans that outline opportunities for new development that complements the Green Network vision and projects and spurs new investment in neighborhood stabilization, revitalization and redevelopment in targeted areas. Close coordination with Vacants to Value and Project CORE will be required, along with additional technical support from MDP and DHCD. Staff Kate Edwards

Funding and Financing

Purpose Research and recommend funding streams for implementation of pilot projects and suggest ways that ongoing resources can be dedicated for future projects and ongoing maintenance. Take preliminary steps towards establishing relationships with funders and initiating grant application processes. Staff Robert Pipik Elina Bravve

Implementation

Purpose Develop the process and structure for budgeting, selecting, designing, constructing, owning and maintaining the projects coming out of the Green Network Plan. Utilize the suggested pilot projects as real-world test cases, with the goal of developing a sustainable system for long-term implementation, oversight and stewardship of Green Network projects. Consultant assistance likely needed. Staff Jenny Guillaume Abby Cocke Robert Pipik

Planning Process Next Steps

• Wrap up site suitability phase and begin prioritization phase

• Ramp-up sub-committee work • Initiate geographically targeted outreach • Prepare for and promote September public meetings • Prepare for community charrette process (Land Use &

Community Planning Sub-committee)

How Can You Help?

• Be a GNP Ambassador • Share your ideas & expertise • Point us to funding opportunities! • Assist a Subcommittee

• Outreach and Engagement • Land Use and Community Planning • Funding and Financing • Implementation

A Questions & Discussion