Our Baltimore Comprehensive Plan will guide equitable neighborhood development over the next ten years. 

What is Our Baltimore? Why is this planning process important? 

Our Baltimore is a comprehensive plan to guide physical development of the City over the next ten years and beyond. The plan is based on community input and values, with a focus on topics related to urban planning: land use, transportation, housing, community facilities, and more. You can read more about the topics here.

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The plan will build on the Mayor’s Action Plan, but look at a longer time horizon (10+ years). In particular, the plan will focus on the Equitable Neighborhood Development pillar, identifying what equitable neighborhood development looks like and how to achieve it. 

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The plan will focus on how to make Baltimore better for current residents so that they want to stay, benefit from staying, and are inspired to invite their friends and family to move to Baltimore. By focusing on the needs and desires of current residents, the City will naturally grow over time. 

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What are the limitations of Our Baltimore and Comprehensive Plans more generally? 

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While the name “Comprehensive Plan” suggests that the plan covers all City services and public policy, Comprehensive Plans are specific and focused on land use and urban planning policy and programs. For specific topics covered by this plan, please visit our topics webpage.

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This plan does not focus on the provision of day-to-day services through City operations. Day to day programmatic decision making is led by individual agencies. 

 

Through this document, the City seeks to develop a vision for physical development that aligns with community and resident input. Our Baltimore seeks to identify recommendations to work towards this vision. However, a key limitation is private land ownership and private property rights. It is important to note that most land development in Baltimore occurs through private investment.

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How does this planning process relate to other Agency plans and priorities?

 

In some cases, related policies have been developed through other public processes in recent years. For example, a public process related to economic development is ongoing and led by Baltimore Development Corporation. Please see our process page for more information about other relevant plans. 

 

How will this plan be used after it is developed? 

This plan will guide development in the City of Baltimore. The recommendations and priorities identified in the plan will guide the decision making of the Planning Commission and CHAP, as well as the work of the Department of Planning in years ahead, along with other City agencies.​

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What does the plan do to promote equity? 

We applied an equity lens in two ways: (1) to the process, by expanding our public engagement approach and (2) to the development of the plan content, through the use of an equity tool to prioritize recommendations. 

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What does the plan include?   

The plan includes a range of information about the history of our City, strategies for equitable growth and retention, as well as details on plans for certain parts of the City. The majority of the plan is made up of detailed strategies and recommendations to guide equitable development. These strategies are organized by the following themes and topics: 

• Livable Places: Equitable Neighborhood Development, Affordable Housing, Vacant Housing, Public Spaces and Placemaking, and Historic Resources

• Equitable Access:  Transportation Equity, Food Access, Digital Access and Equity, and Access to Parks, Open Spaces, and Recreation

• Healthy Communities: Environmental and Climate Justice, Trees and Forests, Neighborhood Cleanliness, Designing for Public Safety, and Public Health Disparities Related to Extreme Heat

• Inclusive Economy: Small Business Ecosystem and Neighborhood Retail, Workforce Development, and Freight Movement

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What was implemented from the last comprehensive plan? 

One of the biggest accomplishments from the last comprehensive plan was the development of a new zoning code. Baltimore’s zoning code hadn’t been updated in more than 40 years and many of the recommendations in the last comprehensive plan called for changes that could only be achieved through a new zoning code, such as zoning that encouraged transit oriented development and redevelopment of industrial properties. Rewriting the zoning code was a massive undertaking that took several years to complete, and was passed by the City Council in 2016. To see the status of all the recommendations from the last comprehensive plan, click here. 

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Who led the planning process? 

The planning process was led by the Department of Planning with support from an Advisory Council, Engagement Leadership Team, and other city agencies and residents.

 

What was the engagement strategy? 

We have made an effort to develop an engagement strategy that reaches different audiences through targeted outreach. We have partnered with community based organizations to reach stakeholders who might not typically participate in processes like this. Please read more about our efforts here.​