Harford County – �鶹��Ƶ

Destination Harford County: Visualizing Tourism and Points of Interest in Harford County, Maryland

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

This report details work conducted by urban studies and planning graduate students in the Planning Technologies course at the University of Maryland for Visit Harford, the destination marketing organization for Harford County. Using geographic information system (GIS) software to create visualizations of tourism points of interest, the team prepared maps for public dissemination in support of Visit Harfordâ€s efforts to better promote its tourism sites. In response to Visit Harfordâ€s request for a map that could be integrated into their mobile app, the team compiled contact information, descriptions, and social media rating data for points of interest, and created two interactive public-facing story maps using ESRI ArcGIS Online. The first product is a shortlist that gives comprehensive overview of destinations and activities in select categories on Visit Harfordâ€s website and rack card marketing materials. The second product was created in response to Visit Harfordâ€s request that we help them encourage tourists to explore destinations farther from the Interstate 95 (I-95) Corridor, a public-facing story map that provides a sample daylong itinerary incorporating destination information from the shortlist. Our analysis of available social media rating information for the destinations demonstrated that while there is little correlation between distance from I-95 and low ratings, analysis of drive-time from I-95 to destinations would be useful. The report concludes with some recommendations ways to use and incorporate the story maps and shortlist data into existing and soon-to-be created resources to expand tourist knowledge of the destinations.

Visit Harford Trail Map

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

This project focused on creating an interactive and searchable map of the most popular trails in Harford County for the use on the Visit Harford website. This report provides background on previously available searchable and interactive trail mapping, describes in detail what the projectâ€s goals, discusses the data collection process, including where the data was collected from and qualitative data sought out. A significant amount of data about Harford County Trails is available online, but it is not consolidated in one place. If a visitor to Harford County wants to find a trail for hiking or biking, there are numerous incomplete data sources and maps provided by jurisdictions and independent organizations. The purpose of this project is to consolidate information on Harford Countyâ€s most popular trails so that visitors and residents have easier access to the beauty of Harford County through its comprehensive network of state parks, county parks, and trails. This report also describes how data was gathered and manipulated to suit this project. It also discusses the methodology, analysis, and visualization of the data. The primary purpose of this report is to explain how the team used the data collected for mapping purposes, as well as the projectâ€s results. It includes a tutorial of how to use the final product with an analysis of how it might be used on the Visit Harford site. This new interactive tool can benefit Harford County residents and tourists alike. Ultimately, the interactive map will be incorporated into an app that visitors to Harford County will be able to use to find not just trails, but other attractions, such as dining, lodging, and entertainment. Visit Harford is the destination marketing organization of Harford County, Maryland with the goal of driving more tourism activity in Harford County. Their website includes many attractions for both residents and tourists. Through the PALS program, our class was tasked with providing the County with improved spatial data for tourist attractions in Harford County, making the County more navigable for those seeking to get the most out of their visits in and around Harford County. Our group was assigned to Harford Countyâ€s trails. At the projectâ€s outset, Harford County did not have any kind of trail map that visitors could use. Additionally, the Visit Harford County website only had a list of trails in the county, without any meaningful qualitative data about the trails. In fact, the list of trails was included in the list of parks as a combined list of parks and trails.1 Our group was tasked with creating an up-to-date trails inventory with qualitative data about each trail, and then represent that data in an interactive map. There is currently no interactive format nor a single place for visitors to research trails. The only option is the Parks & Trails website where trails are consolidated with the parks. But not all trails are included, and the site doesnâ€t include a map.

Harford County Tour Recommendation

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

Visit Harford â€” Harford County, Marylandâ€s destination marketing organization â€” would like to improve its Visitor Tour Planning Application to enhance the touring experience for people visiting the county. The current application shows each point of interest individually and lacks an integrated way to show visitorâ€s a tour of all the points of interest (museums, breweries, and monuments). As a result, visitors have to find and map every point of interest one by one. To improve this experience, this project aims to attract tourists to the county and make them aware of the various activities happening in the county. The county envisions a web and mobile-based user application that will provide visitors with tour recommendations based on sitesâ€ locations and business hours, and the visitorâ€s time preference. This tool will benefit visitors by providing intelligent tour recommendations for visiting points of interest based on location, time preferences, and selected categories (landmark, art, sports, lodging, etc.). The visitors will have the freedom to seamlessly plan personalized tours based on the categories they select and without switching back and forth between details of each point of interest. To achieve this, data from GIS classâ€”points of interest (POI), address, category (landmark, art, sports, lodging, etc.), contact, business hours, descriptions, and geocoding details (mainly longitude and latitude information)â€”of the various attractions will be made available to the app development team, which will then use it to map tours using either Google Maps or other openly available mapping application programming interfaces (APIs).

Finding Vulnerable Roads in Harford County

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

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 considerable use of public resources. Unfortunately, county budgets are limited, and staff resources are thin. Mitigation is the most cost-effective tool to reduce damage and associated costs; therefore, the county requires a tool that can more effectively identify vulnerable roadway segments. By working with the PALS program at University of Maryland, College Park, the county has identified an opportunity to work proactively and better meet the road safety obligations of the Public Works Department and the Division of Highways. As part of the PALS program, the team used data processing tools and GIS mapping technology to help the county preserve their roadways. Through ongoing conversations, the county worked with the team to create a tool that meet their needs by identifying roads at risk. Vulnerable segments have been identified and prioritized so county staff can plan road reinforcement projects in a more cost-effective manner. Along with a map of identified at-risk road segments, the team has created an interactive web app that allows an in-depth of analysis of at-risk roads, a geodatabase with watershed and soil analysis, and a presentation that reviews key findings. This report reviews the background research, the GIS methods used, the results and their implications for the county, and suggestions for moving forward. The goal, as GIS technicians and community planners, is to serve the interests of the county by providing tools to better predict instances of road failure.

Road Segment Risk Assessment: Harford County, Maryland

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

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 areas with the greatest concentration of at-risk road segments will also be included. The project had several phases. First, county road sections that were not bridges and that were close to streams (<25 feet) were selected and isolated. Second, the team calculated and characterized the soil type, drainage area, and distance from the stream as erosion risk indicators. Third, the team created an index that weights soil type, drainage area, and distance to identify the highest risk road segments. The team then separated the identified road segments into high, medium, and low risk categories and produced a list of the 347 road segments most at-risk. After a hot-spot analysis to find areas of the county that contain clusters of high-risk road segments, the team finished by reporting to the county the roads in need of checks or repair.

Streambank and Road Erosion in Harford County

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

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 identified vulnerable roadways in Harford County at risk from streambank erosion. Using the softwareâ€s tools, our team identified a total of 438 vulnerable roadways, which were then ranked by their total potential risk. Our team presented this information and ranking system so Harford County could address these roadways. It is our hope that this information proves useful to the County to address issues before they occur. We provided the County with a geodatabase that contains final spatial information, additional shapefiles that outline our technical process, and a metadata file. We also created an online presentation, which is accessible through ArcGIS Online at: https://arcg.is/1zKviX.

Inspector District Management Process Flow Study, Harford County Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

The Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits (ILP) in Harford County, Maryland works to create streamlined and efficient processes for inspections, licenses, and permits for the construction in the county. The inspections vary depending on the geo-location of the building, the type of construction, and its size. The ILP inspectors are certified experts, each specializing in a specific type of construction. Currently, assigning inspections to ILP inspectors is done manually, based on the location of the inspection request and the type of skill required. However, an increasing number of inspection requests, rapid development in the county, and the complexity of resources to be managed, the manual process of assigning inspections is becoming cumbersome and inefficient. Without a system to prioritize inspections, inspectors spend time traveling to different sites and allocating time toward inspections that may not be as important. This projectâ€s objective is to redesign the process flow for administrators and ILP inspectors to help manage the inspections with minimal overhead. The project approach is to first study the existing process to understand the roles and responsibilities of each individual and the system, and how they collaborate. Based on that knowledge, a new process flow will be designed to optimize the process of inspection management.

Harford County Economic Forecasting

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:26 +0000

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Harford County Bel Air Bicycle Network Study

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:25 +0000

In 2013, Harford County adopted a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan that establishes goals and priorities for improving the Countyâ€s bicycle and pedestrian networks and connecting to key destinations throughout the County. In 2018, Harford County engaged with the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Capstone Studio at the University of Maryland to develop a more comprehensive plan that would include an overall strategy and suite of best practices to guide the development, implementation and expansion of the Countyâ€s bicycle network. During the studioâ€s first phase, students reviewed the existing plan, supporting materials, precedents of bicycle trails and Complete Streets policies, and met with planning officials to evaluate information gaps and missing links and to provide recommendations for developing links. Working in design teams, students addressed the priority connections between the County and the Town of Bel Air. The teams also identified potential connections to or expansions of the green infrastructure network and opportunities for recreational tourism. During the studioâ€s second phase, students undertook a more detailed analysis of the Town of Bel Airâ€s 2013 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan to advance the proposed segments that connect to the Countyâ€s Plan. County-identified priorities include Macphail Road, MD Route 24, and the connection between downtown Bel Air and Harford Community College. The teams field verified the concepts for proposed routes. Standards for trail designs and markers were developed and marker locations were identified.

Environmental Analysis and Development Potential in the Creswell Area of Harford County, MD

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:25 +0000

This project was undertaken as part of the UMD PALS program by graduate Landscape Architecture students in LARC 642 in the fall of 2018. It contributes to a series of courses addressing the development potential of the Creswell study area in Harford County. The objectives of this course were threefold: 1. Identify abiotic, biotic, and cultural characteristics that significantly influence development patterns of the Creswell area; 2. Undertake an assessment of developable potential of the Creswell area; and 3. Visually document patterns of land use of the built environment for the understanding of potential development patterns of the Creswell area. This document is organized along the basis of these three objectives.