News

Fri, 12/12/2025 - 12:00

For the past few decades, the pews at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in New Carrollton, Md., have been slowly emptying. Weekly attendance at the once-thriving, multicultural congregation has dwindled to around three dozen. Frequent flooding of the sanctuary chapel has damaged its foundation and floors. Leadership could scrape together funds to fix the building, but would anyone be there to notice? 

Mon, 11/17/2025 - 12:00

The food just kept coming: heaps of steaming noodles, pillowy pork buns, glistening spears of Chinese broccoli. As the dishes amassed on the tractor tire-sized lazy Susan, University of Maryland Associate Professor Emeritus Alexander Chen turned to his former students at the table. He taught them how to plan cities, inform federal policy and spearhead community development—but apparently not how to coordinate a dim sum order. “You’d think after nearly 10 years, we could get this right,” he said, shaking his head. “We always order way too much food.”

Thu, 10/30/2025 - 12:00

The park bench Shahrzad Ateffi encountered biking through the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C. spoke to her, but it wasn’t an invitation to rest. Lonely and sun-beaten without a shade tree in sight, the wooden plank was more performative than practical, and sent a clear message to the University of Maryland graduate student: “You’re not really meant to stay here.”

Mon, 09/15/2025 - 12:00

This article originally appeared in TERP Magazine. Written by Karen Shih ’09.THE AMERICAN DREAM IS DEAD. Or it’s at least delayed, for recent college grads. According to a report earlier this year from mortgageresearch.com, they won’t be able to afford a house until 2034.

Fri, 09/12/2025 - 12:00

Around the U.S., an estimated 40 children are hit by cars every day walking to school—a statistic Karen Kali’s son became part of earlier this year. The Silver Spring, Md., middle schooler was hit and injured by a car in a crosswalk not far from his home on a bright afternoon in February. 

Thu, 05/29/2025 - 12:00

On any given day at the office, Jason Sartori M.C.P. ‘05 might review a development application, offer guidance for a placemaking event, evaluate the state of school infrastructure, or all of the above.A day in the life as a planning director for Montgomery County, Md.—one of the most diverse, populous counties in the country—is never boring. In his role, Sartori tackles a variety of formidable tasks relating to issues such as affordable housing, zoning and transportation—but he wouldn't have it any other way, he said.