Whose ‘Right to Suburbia’?
This article originally appeared in Maryland Today.Ellsworth Avenue in Silver Spring, Md., sizzles on a summer evening: Residents stroll along its tree-lined sidewalks under the neon glow of upscale chain restaurants, retailers and a Whole Foods Market. Beyond the din of downtown is a different kind of sizzle: the intoxicating aroma of sliced meat frying in butter, garlic and onion—called tibs—wafting from one of many Ethiopian restaurants just outside the city center.
Can College Park Become a 15-Minute City?
A doctor’s office, grocery store or part-time job is just a quick walk or bike ride away for most University of Maryland students. But, for many people who live and work in other communities in College Park, running errands without a car is stalled. Recommendations and tangible interventions that UMD students developed this semester in the new course “15-Minute Cities in College Park” may help improve access to local amenities for residents through the 15-minute city concept.
‘Exhausted’ by the Car Commute? You Might Like a Bike
The story originally appeared in Maryland Today.Anyone who’s experienced the off-ramp from the Beltway to Baltimore Avenue on a typical Wednesday morning (and the tangle of roadwork that follows en route to campus) has earned their stripes in the battle to get to work on time.
Pomp and Circumstance
If there was ever a group of students more deserving—and ready—to walk across a commencement stage, it was the class of 2024. Freshly pressed gowns and decorated caps could not detract from the smiles beaming off the parade of undergraduates as they weaved through a standing-room-only Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts auditorium–their first “real” graduation after COVID put high school ceremonies online.
Mike Binder’s Regenerative Career
For Associate Clinical Professor Mike Binder (M.Arch ‘06), teaching architecture wasn’t rocket science. He knows, because he did that—in a former life at NASA before scratching an itch to leverage his science mind to propel sustainable, regenerative design. Teaching architecture for UMD’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation was a literal labor of love for Binder: in studio, on the competition stage, as a mentor and advisor.
Stormwater Hits D.C.’s Poorest Neighborhoods Hardest, UMD Study Finds
A new University of Maryland study suggests that Washington, D.C.’s most socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods are less equipped to handle runoff from heavy rainfalls made more frequent by climate change.
SBAN Awards Grants to Study Community Ownership Programs in Six Metro Areas
The Small Business Anti-Displacement Network (SBAN) has awarded grants to six organizations to conduct case studies of their community ownership efforts in Los Angeles, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
Recent EFC reports support investment in natural resources important to local economies
The Mispillion River and Cedar Creeks drain to the Delaware Bay in Kent and Sussex County Delaware. The vast marshes connecting them are part of an international flyway for migrating birds and a horseshoe crab sanctuary, which brings tourist dollars to the area and secures land value for residents. In addition, the marshes act as a “coastal stronghold” for managing the effects of sea level rise, including reducing property damage from flooding. Together, these resources produce multiple benefits to the state of Delaware, and the towns of Milford and Slaughter Beach.
2020 - 2024
Nature in Urban Planning for Better Human Health
Urban planning, public health, and nature are intricately connected. Studies show that exposure to natural environments can reduce stress, improve mental health, increase social cohesion, and promote physical activity – all of which can attribute to positive health outcomes. Understanding the specific elements of nature experiences and their health benefits is crucial for tailoring urban planning efforts to meet community and public health goals.
EFC Partners with ASLA to Develop Resource Guides on Economic Benefits
“We know that landscape architects design nature-based solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises. But how they do that is key: they design them to be even more effective and inclusive and to provide even greater benefits.”