Smart Growth at 10

In 1997, Maryland burst into the national spotlight with the passage of its Smart Growth and Neighborhood Conservation initiative. The initiative gained broad national recognition and praise, yet the question remains: Has Smart Growth changed the development pattern in Maryland?

To address these and other related questions, the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education and Resources for the Future organized a three-day conference commemorating the 10th anniversary of Maryland's landmark Smart Growth legislation.

Former Maryland Governor and Smart Growth visionary Parris Glendening began the conference by reflecting on the evolution of the initiative. Contentious and unfamiliar at its inception, the legislation became a widely copied framework for states around the country.

 
Smart Growth @ 10: A Critical Examination of Maryland's Landmark Land Use Program
Conference Report
January 2008

The papers presented over the course of the conference touched on a variety of topics, including transportation, infrastructure, land preservation, and community development. Government officials, academics, and environmental and development interests debated the effectiveness and outcomes of Smart Growth instruments such as Priority Funding Areas and Rural Legacy easements. Discussion also focused on the role of state and local government in growth management, in addition to the need for increased state-wide and regional coordination.
  
Smart Growth faces both challenges and change in its next ten years.

Concern for the health of the Chesapeake Bay, the state's economic prosperity, and the quality of life of all Marylanders demands that the initiative address the questions and conclusions raised throughout the conference.

A conference program is available for download in PDF format.

 
"Smart Growth @ 10" Conference to Take Critical Look at Maryland's Landmark Land Use Initiative
Press Release
September 2007

Wednesday, October 3
Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr.
Senate Office Building
West II, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD

12:30 p.m. Registration

1:00 p.m. Welcome

1:30 p.m. Smart Growth 10 Years Later
Former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening

2:00 p.m. "What Did Glendening's Staff Hope to Accomplish?"
Moderator: Jenny Plummer-Welker, Maryland APA

• Ray Skinner, Secretary, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
• Ronald N. Young, formerly Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Planning
• Henry Kay, Deputy Administrator, Maryland Transit Administration
• John W. Frece, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education

3:00 p.m. "The Local Perspective on Smart Growth"
Moderator: Beth Harber, Abell Foundation

• Jan Gardner, Frederick County Board of County Commissioners
• David Carey, Mayor, Bel Air
• Joe Rutter, former planner, Howard and Anne Arundel counties
• David Harrington, Prince George's County Council

4:00 p.m. "The View from the Outside"
Moderator: Caroline Moore, ULI Baltimore

• John Kortecamp, Home Builders Association of Maryland
• Rich Thometz, Hailey Development
• Dru Schmidt-Perkins, 1000 Friends of Maryland
• Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth

5:00 p.m. Summary

5:30 p.m. Reception for all participants
The Maryland Inn, Annapolis, MD

Thursday, October 4
The Inn and Conference Center
3501 University Boulevard East
University of Maryland, College Park, MD

8:15 a.m. Welcome
Gerrit-Jan Knaap

8:30 a.m.
I. Setting the Stage: Smart Growth in Context
Moderator: Garth Rockcastle, Dean, School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation

• Ten Years Later: An Assessment of Smart Growth in Maryland 
  Gerrit-Jan Knaap and John W. Frece, both University of MD
  
  
• From Growth Controls, to Comprehensive Planning, to Smart Growth: The Evolution of State Efforts to Manage Growth
  Tim Chapin, Florida State University
  
  
• Smart Growth in Maryland: The Impact of a Coordinated Approach on Community Revitalization Across the State
  James T. Noonan and Jacquelyn Magness-Seneschal, KCI Technologies  
  

10:15 a.m.
II. Land Use and Land Use Change
Moderator: Amal Ali, Salisbury University

• Examining Deflection: An Unintended Consequence of Maryland's Smart Growth
  Uri Avin, PB PlaceMaking, Thomas Hammer, Demographics Consultant, and Chris Dorney, Parsons Brinckerhoff
  
  
• Hotspots for Growth: Land Use change in a Transitional County in Maryland
  Marie Howland, University of Maryland; and Bernadette Hanlon and Mike McGuire, both University of MD at Baltimore
  
  
• Modeling the Urbanization Process Across Maryland in the Context of Chesapeake Bay Restoration
  Scott J. Goetz, The Woods Hole Research Center; Claire A. Jantz, Shippensburg University; and Nancy E. Bockstael, University of MD
  
   
  

12:30 p.m.
Luncheon presentation
Beverley Swaim-Staley, Deputy Secretary
Maryland Department of Transportation

1:00 p.m.
III. Housing Choices and Preferences
Moderator: John I. Carruthers, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• An Exploration of the Impact of Suburban In-Fill: Is Perception Reality?
  Keith Wiley, University of MD Baltimore County
  
  
• Lot Size, Zoning, and Household Preferences: Impediments to Smart Growth?
  Elizabeth Kopits, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Virginia McConnell and Daniel Miles, both of University of MD Baltimore County
  
  
• Does Maryland's Smart Growth and Neighborhood Conservation Initiative Improve the Balance of Housing Choices?
  Ralph B. McLaughlin, University of California, Irvine
  
  

2:45 p.m.
IV. Smart Growth Instruments
Moderator: Margaret Walls, Resources for the Future

• Open Space and Urban Sprawl: The Case of the Maryland Forest Conservation Act
  Erik Lichtenberg and Ian Hardie, both University of MD
  
  
• Managing Growth with Priority Funding Areas: Promise, Politics, and Performance
  Jungyul Sohn, Seoul National University, Gerrit-Jan Knaap and Rebecca Lewis, both of University of MD
  
  
• The Effects of Moratoria on Residential Development: Evidence from Harford, Howard and Montgomery Counties
  Antonio M. Bento, Cornell University