Prince George’s County Planning – �鶹��Ƶ

Redlining in Prince George’s County, Maryland

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:20 +0000

The project goal was to provide the Prince Georgeâ€s Planning Department with geographic information regarding historical redlining in the County. Redlining is the act of denying a person the ability to buy property or a house within a specific area due to their race or ethnicity. This project allowed us to understand the impact that redlining has on Prince Georgeâ€s County. In PGAtlas.com, we obtained county addresses and their associated plat numbers to look up subdivision plats. We scanned property deeds that accompany subdivision plats to see if there were any deed restrictions that might indicate redlining. We compiled a data table of 15 redlined addresses in the County and provided map entries for a story map on the ArcGis story map. The story map helps show how certain areas in the County were targeted with redlining in the 1890s through the 1940s. In addition, the story map outlines the history of redlining in other areas and how Prince Georgeâ€s County is one of many communities to have been affected. Our contacts for the project were Prince Georgeâ€s County Planning Department staff, Dr. Jennifer Stabler and Karen Mierow. We also worked with Kimberly Fisher and Lily Murnen of the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program. Our project required understanding both clientsâ€ goals and objectives to achieve a final product agreed on by both parties.

Making Place: Transit-Oriented Development for Largo, MD

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:20 +0000

Largo, MD is a city of 12,000 people at the intersection of the Beltway and the Metropolitan DC Blue Line. It is currently being planned as the future center of the Prince Georgeâ€s County Government and the home of the new University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center. The overall site has exceptional access to transit and offers myriad ways to travel but in itself lacks appeal as a â€œplaceâ€. It has developed as a suburban â€œEdge Cityâ€ on the outskirts of the District of Columbia, a simple automobile-oriented pit stop in-between the jobs and sights of the national capital and the dwellings of those who work and visit. As part of the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), The Prince Georgeâ€s County Department of Planning approached the University of Marylandâ€s Program in Architecture with a request to investigate the Largo metro site as a more fully realized transit-oriented development hosting a full mix of uses, from the new seat of the countyâ€s government to the new hospital and residential development. The studio focused on questions of place, development, and identity while grappling with the fragmented pattern of development that currently defines Largo. The studio proposals demonstrate the potential of a new identity for the area using transit oriented design principles, restoration of the natural environment, and making Largo a â€œgreen jewel of a townâ€ at the heart of Prince Georgeâ€s County.

Community Engagement for Vulnerable Communities: Flooding Impacts and Adaptation in East Riverdale-Beacon Heights

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:20 +0000

Flood hazards and associated damage are expected to increase in intensity and frequency in the coming years due to increased development and progressing climate change. The severity of these impacts is directly related to the characteristics of drainage basins; severity increases as impervious surface area and development in urban areas increases (USGS, n.d.). Rain events are also set to increase in both intensity and severity as the climate changes in the northeastern United States, leading to an expected 45% increase in the size of the 100-year floodplain by the end of the century (Walsh et al., 2014; Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2018; Denchak, 2019). Many residents of East Riverdale-Beacon Heights currently live in floodplains; others will likely live in a one-as floodplains increase in size. Additionally, the communities in East Riverdale-Beacon Heights are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of flooding due to higher than average flooding exposure, and lower than average socioeconomic status and educational attainment. Due to these increased flood risks, this project first evaluated flood risks for the East Riverdale-Beacon Heights communities. GIS analysis revealed that 59 residential units are currently impacted by flooding, and demographic analysis revealed that these residents may be more vulnerable to the effects of flooding, given that a majority (57.2%) of them are Hispanic, more families live below the poverty line than the County average, and the percent of adults without a high school diploma is higher than the County average. To address these findings, multiple flood mitigation strategies were researched and considered. Disregarding financial constraints and considering the vulnerability of the East Riverdale-Beacon Heights community, the best long-term strategy to mitigate flooding impacts was determined to be a buyout program and successful advertisement thereof, using communication strategies detailed in this report. However, if a buyout program is not possible, the most at-risk residents should be urged to either elevate or wet floodproof their homes. Additionally, we recommend that the County continue to acquire areas within the floodplain to use as open space and implement green infrastructure techniques to decrease the magnitude of floods. Green infrastructure recommendations in this report include permeable pavement, downspout disconnection, bioretention, blue roofs, green roofs, and urban tree canopy. These mitigation solutions should not only be adopted by the County but also recommended to citizens in the East Riverdale-Beacon Heights area. The County should continue to use the websites and mailing systems they have in place and update the information to include the findings of this report. Moreover, this project has determined that the best way to communicate this information is through the consistent use of multiple social media platforms and, most importantly, public outreach meetings and events. Outreach events allow the County to make flooding information more accessible and explain more complex information through conversation. In conclusion, Prince Georgeâ€s County can optimally decrease flood risk for the maximum number of residents, both inside and outside of East Riverdale-Beacon Heights, by implementing as many of these strategies as possible. Using strategies that decrease exposure, hazard, and vulnerability can cohesively and systematically increase flood resiliency for this human-environmental system.

Changing Landscapes: Farmsteads & Resort Towns

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:20 +0000

In the Fall semester of 2019, the University of Maryland Historic Preservation Studio class worked with the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in Prince Georgeâ€s County through the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program. The purpose of the partnership was to create a heritage trail linking the communities of Aquasco, Eagle Harbor, and Cedar Haven in southern Prince Georgeâ€s County.

Brandywine Farmer’s Market (Marketing and Engagement)