U.S. Census Bureau Announces 2010 Census Population Counts (12/21/2010)

Apportionment Counts Delivered to President
Maryland sees increase of 9% over 2000 count

At 11 a.m. today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Acting Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank and Census Bureau Director Robert Groves released the first set of 2010 Census data in a Census webcast.

Maryland's 2010 resident population is 5,773,552, a 9% increase over 2000, ranking Maryland 19th in the nation.

The 2010 apportionment population count is 5,789,929 (including overseas population of 16,377).

For more on the U.S. Census Bureau announcement, go to http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb10-cn93.html.

Miller's Court awarded Smart Growth Award by the U.S. EPA (12/01/2010)

The Miller's Court mixed-use redevelopment project in Baltimore City today received a 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement from the U.S. EPA. This award in the Smart Growth and Green Building category, was presented at a ceremony held at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

Miller's Court is a mixed-use redevelopment incorporating the preservation of a landmark historic building and sustainable design principles.

http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards/sg_awards_publication_2010.htm#content

Conference: Where Do We Grow From Here? Bay Friendly Development in the 21st Century

REDUCED RATE! Cost is $95.00 per person. Government and non-profits can send 2 people for price of 1.

Where Do We Grow From Here is a conference on development, environment, and the Chesapeake Bay presented by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Home Builders Association of Maryland.

Leaders from throughout Maryland representing environmental advocacy, building development, government, and academia are invited to participate, interact, and learn at the conference. The intention is to generate new ideas and initiatives and help set a tone in Maryland for a better way to address complex issues based on collaboration rather than confrontation as a first step.

Realtors attending the conference may be eligible to receive continuing education credits.

When:
      Wednesday, November 17, 2010
      8:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Where:
      Martin's West
      6817 Dogwood Road
      Baltimore, MD 21244

Preregistration is required. Visit www.bayfriendlydev.org for details and to register.

Please join CBF and HBAM for this important event.

World Trade Center ship remains brought to Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory

Pieces of an 18th century ship that were unearthed at the World Trade Center excavation site in July are being catalogued and conserved by the staff at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC lab) at Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum in St. Leonard, Md., part of the Maryland Historical Trust, a division of the Maryland Department of Planning.

• The Gudgeon Did It: A Small Detail Settles a Maritime Mystery - New York Times, September 12, 2010
• Unearthed Ship In NYC Offers Clues Of Colonial Life - NPR, August 18, 2010
• "It's a race against time to clean and preserve centuries-old buried WTC ship" in New York Daily News
• "World Trade Center Mystery Ship Berths in Maryland" - Bay Weekly
• Md. center studies ship's remains found at World Trade Center site - Washington Post
• Md. Researchers Examine Ship Found Near WTC Site - WJZ13
• Spherical Panoramas of World Trade Center Ship Excavation by Drew Fulton Photography

Save the Date! October 28th and 29th, 2010

Register today! October 28th and 29th, 2010

Make plans to attend the 2010 MPCA Annual Conference

This year's Maryland Planning Commissioners Association conference is being held in beautiful Mountain Maryland at the Cumberland Holiday Inn. Click here to register. Click here to view the preliminary conference program.

Cumberland Holiday Inn 100 S. George Street Cumberland, MD 21502 (301) 724-8800 www.hicumberland.com Special $70.00 room rate offered to MPCA conference attendees.

Contact Steve Allan Director of MPCA, to request detail about the 2010 annual conference. 301 W Preston Street, 11th Floor Baltimore, MD 21201 (410) 767-4572 SAllan@mdp.state.md.us

Secretary Hall writes to Planning magazine

In "Let the states do it," Secretary Hall makes the case for states being granted a stronger role in the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

Click here for article.

Free Training for All Planning Commissioners and Board Appeals Members Offered at Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Conference

The Maryland Department of Planning, in cooperation with MACo, will offer a free training opportunity at the MACo Summer Conference on Wednesday, August 18 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. The training is being offered to assist planning commission and board members and members of boards of appeals comply with 2009 legislation (SB280 and HB297) that requires an education course to be completed.

The training is open to counties as well as municipalities. Attendees need only pay the MACo conference registration fee if they plan to participate in other conference activities.

Seating is limited for this education course. Please register today to reserve your seat by clicking here to register. Contact MDP if you need assistance at (410) 767-4500 or (877) 767-6272, toll-free.

Smart, Green and Growing in Southern Maryland

An event of the Maryland Chapter of the American Planning Association, 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, Wednesday, July 14.

This is a one-day conference to provide training and motivation, including ethics and law sessions, for planning professionals and anyone involved in managing growth to ensure quality of life, whether in Southern Maryland, the entire Free State or the Mid-Atlantic region.

6 CM credits pending

Click here for more information

MDP presents the Bernie's Feet 'Guess the Depth' Contest

For over 20 years Senator Bernie Fowler has held an annual wade-in event to measure the clarity of the waters of the Patuxent River. Senator Fowler started this event to bring attention to the declining health of this natural resource.

This year, you can participate with Senator Fowler and guess the depth at which he can see his sneakers.

Free Training for All Planning Commissioners and Board Appeals Members Offered at MML Convention

Legislation passed during the 2009 General Assembly requires members of planning commissions and boards of appeals to complete a planning training course by July 1, 2010. MDP has developed an online course that members can take which fulfills the requirements of the law. To assist in this effort, MDP has joined with the Maryland Municipal League to offer a free 3-hour live session of this course to help you satisfy this requirement by the July 1 deadline. The training session will be offered on Sunday, June 27th, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 203/204 of the Ocean City Convention Center; this coincides with the first day of MML's annual convention. The training is open to counties as well as municipalities and attendees do not need to be pre-registered or pay a convention registration fee (unless they plan to participate in other convention-related activities). For a complete listing of all MML convention activities, please visit MML's Convention Information on their website.

Listen to Secretary Hall's interview about PlanMaryland on 88.1 FM/WYPR's Maryland Morning podcast. The Secretary originally appeared on Tuesday, May 18, 2010

MDP Secretary Richard Hall appeared on the Maryland Morning with Shielah Kast radio show to discuss PlanMaryland, what it is and why Maryland needs a state growth plan. Click here to listen to the podcast of this interview.

Your Opportunity to Participate in Shaping Maryland's Future

PlanMaryland Public Forums

PlanMaryland is a new planning process designed to create a better and more sustainable future for Maryland. The state legislature created the authority for such a plan in the 1970s, but a broader recognition of the costs of unsustainable types of land use has grown in recent years to the point where such a plan is now urgently needed. We need to do a better job of steering development toward areas that already have roads, schools and other public infrastructure.

The Maryland Department of Planning is coordinating this process. We are holding 13 PlanMaryland public forums, or meetings, throughout the state during the first half of 2010. You are invited to attend and participate in these meetings.

Click Here to see Forum Schedule

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s 11th Annual Planning Conference

"About Town: Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s 11th Annual Planning Conference" will be held on Friday, February 26, 2010 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills

MDP is pleased to announce that 3.5 AICP CM credits will be provided, pending approval from the American Planning Association (APA).

Conference Overview and Registration

Conference Agenda

Secretary Hall in the Baltimore Sun on Sustainable Communities Act

We agree with the conclusion of The Sun's editorial about the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit of 2010 ("Rethinking redevelopment," Feb. 8) -- that the program has been a proven stimulus for economic development. However, its characterization of our motives in proposing changes to it was incorrect....

Click here for more information...

Sustainable Communities Advocacy Day in Annapolis

The members of the Governor's Smart Growth Subcabinet held a Sustainable Communities Advocacy Day to launch the State's initiatives for 2010 on Wednesday, January 27th. Senator David Harrington sponsored the event in the Miller Conference West room of the Miller Senate Office Building.

Over 200 Marylanders attended Advocacy Day representing a wide range of interest in the future of sustainability, growth and development, housing and the environment. People representing smart growth, environmental, housing, bike/ped, disabilities and rural concerns as well as local government and regional planning came out for this two-hour event.

Secretary Richard Hall summarized two important Smart , Green & Growing bills introduced by the O’Malley administration to the 2010 session: the Sustainable Communities Act of 2010 and the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission. All speakers gave perspective to the importance of these bills to the future of housing, development, transportation, energy, economic development, environmental preservation and community revitalization in Maryland.

Speakers included:

• Sen. David Harrington, District 47
• Del. Maggie McIntosh, District 43
• Richard E. Hall, Secretary, MD Dept. of Planning & Chair of Smart Growth Subcabinet
• Raymond A. Skinner, Secretary, MD Dept. of Housing & Community Development
• Harold Bartlett, Deputy Secretary, MD Dept. of Transportation
• Christian S. Johansson, Secretary, MD Dept. of Business & Economic Development
• Malcolm Woolf, Director, Maryland Energy Administration
• Adam Ortiz, Mayor of Edmonston and Deputy Chief of Staff to Anthony Brown
• Jon M. Laria, Chair of the Growth Task Force and Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP
• John E. Kortecamp, Executive Vice President, Home Builders Association of Maryland
• Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, Deputy Director, 1000 Friends of Maryland
• Tyler Gearhart, Executive Director of Preservation Maryland
• Alan Girard, Project Manager, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Links to the information packet distributed at the event:

Sustainable Communities Act of 2010 Summary

Plan Maryland: What is it? Overview

Maryland: Accelerating Investment in the Revitalization and Livability of Maryland’s Neighborhoods

Smart, Green and Growing Planning Guide

Public Event: Sustainable Communities Advocacy Day!

MDP and the Maryland Departments of Transportation, Housing & Community Development and Business & Economic Development are holding an advocacy day on Sustainable Communities initiatives in Maryland.

Details are on the Sustainable Communities Initiatives page.
Click here for more information...

Download the flier to help promote the event.

Stormwater Management Forum!

The Task Force on the Future for Growth & Development is holding a Stormwater Management Forum on January 15th.

Click here for more information...

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