On April 8, 2025, Governor Wes Moore signed new legislation into law creating the Sustainable Growth Planning Principles. These 8 principles modernize and replace the former 12 Planning Visions. These new principles guide Maryland's shift from Smart Growth to Sustainable Growth, a more balanced way of managing land use and development. Sustainable Growth focuses on policies that fairly address economic, social, and environmental factors for both current and future generations. The eight Planning Principles aim to make sustainable growth policies simpler, clearer, and easier for everyone involved in planning and development to use effectively.
Maryland’s Planning Principles
Land
Optimize productivity of
working landscapes, including
farms and
forests, and
fisheries, and prioritize
development within population centers that are in proximity to existing infrastructure and facilities.
Transportation
Prioritize transportation networks that create
energy efficient,
affordable, and
reliable access to jobs, housing, and services.
Housing
Enable a mix of quality housing types and
affordability options to accommodate all who want to live in the state.
Economy
Allow for
adaptive reuse,
mixed–use, and
context appropriate new development that responds to changing markets and innovations.
Equity
Engage
all sectors of the community in plan development to ensure
diverse voices are heard and the needs of
underserved populations are prioritized.
Resilience
Integrate resiliency measures that will
minimize the
impacts of rapid and unexpected
natural– and human–caused threats on communities.
Place
Provide for
public spaces that encourage
social interaction and value
cultural,
historical, and
natural resources.
Ecology
Protect and restore
sensitive ecological systems and conserve
natural resources, including forests, agricultural areas, and waterways.
