UMD Studio Course Recognized for Excellence in Sustainability by the American Planning Association
A Fall 2024 urban planning studio that offered local stakeholders in Langley Park, Md., a roadmap for enhancing economic, social and environmental sustainability was honored last month with an Excellence in Sustainability Award from the American Planning Association. “Equitable Development for Langley Park, Md.” was one of just six projects nationally awarded this year, recognized alongside a heritage trail plan in Chicago, climate planning guidance in Olympia, Wa., and others.
The Neighborhood Impact When School's Out—Forever
For most U.S. cities, a public school is as multifunctional as a Swiss Army knife. Beyond a place for learning history and algebra, schools often double as disaster shelters, host community meetings, serve as neighborhood parks and polling sites, and even house food pantries. Yet since 2000, thousands of public schools have been closed across the country, falling victim to aging buildings, the rise of charter schools, shrinking budgets and plunging birth rates.
2026
Roadmap for Marine Environmental Values
Delaware’s ocean and bay waters have competing uses that increase the urgency for marine spatial planning that incorporates data in decision making. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is developing a Delaware Ocean and Bay Plan to guide resource use, management, and conservation of marine waters off Delaware’s coast.
Dawn Jourdan Reappointed as Dean of School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Dr. Dawn Jourdan, an expert in the legal aspects of land use, affordable housing, preservation and aesthetics regulations, has been reappointed for a second five-year term as dean of the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.
After 35 Years of Teaching, Madlen Simon’s Got Perspective
One of Madlen Simon’s biggest “teaching moments” came not as an instructor—but as a student. In 2014, she found herself approaching total strangers on the streets of San Francisco to gather ideas for a design concept as part of Stanford d.school’s Design Thinking Bootcamp, which she was attending for the University of Maryland. Simon had been a practicing architect and educator for years; she was trained to listen to clients and students.
Prospective Student Information Session (In-Person)
This event is open to the public.Join the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation for an in-person undergraduate student information session. Learn about our various programs, get questions answered and tour the building.
October 9, 2026
October 9, 2026
Prospective Student Information Session (In-Person)
This event is open to the public.Join the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation for an in-person undergraduate student information session. Learn about our various programs, get questions answered and tour the building.
September 18, 2026
September 18, 2026
Architecture Lecture Series: Fall 2026
Spring 2026 Architecture Lecture Series:September 23, 2026Johannes WidodoNational University of Singapore College of Design and Engineering
September 23, 2026
November 4, 2026
MDE Smart Salting: Enhanced Winter Maintenance Training (Fall 2026)
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Smart Salting: Enhanced Winter Maintenance Training helps reduce winter salt pollution beyond state and county roads—covering parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks. This hybrid course is designed for property managers, business owners, landscaping companies, and other private contractors and salt applicators who maintain parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks in the winter.
A Fall 2025 graduate-level urban design studio challenged students to devise new development proposals for two vacant sites in Baltimore, Md., with a focus on delivering amenity-rich assets and a sense of place for surrounding communities. Situated in Bolton Hill/Madison Park and Cherry Hill—two neighborhoods with long histories of redlining and disinvestment—the sites offered opportunities for the students to bring human-centered, walkable development that supports existing residents and amplifies the rich architectural history of the city.