Resources and Tools

Coming Soon! New Tools and Resources for Communities to Assess Compatible Use Issues and Renewable Energy Siting in Maryland

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Resources and Tools 

by Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner and Sarah Diehl, AICP, compatible use Community Planning Liason

In the July 2020 edition of Planning Practice Monthly, we announced the launch of the Phase 2 of the collaboration between the Maryland Departments of Commerce (Commerce) and Planning on the Maryland Military and Civilian Compatible Use Project.  

Phase 2 implements some of the top recommendations of the Statewide Joint Land Use Response Implementation Strategy (SJRIS), completed in 2019 as the main deliverable of the project’s Phase I. 

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Maryland Department of the Environment Launches New Online Environmental Justice Screening Tool

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Resources and Tools

by Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner

In June 2022, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) launched an online tool (utilizing geographic information system (GIS) mapping software) to help users identify potential locations of environmental contamination, environmental justice (EJ) issues and/or environmentally overburdened communities.

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In June 2022, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) launched an online tool (utilizing geographic information system (GIS) mapping software) to help users identify potential locations of environmental contamination, environmental justice (EJ) issues and/or environmentally overburdened communities.

Continue reading →

Housing Data Dashboard Updates

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Resources and Tools

by Joseph Griffiths, AICP, Local Assistance and Training Manager

The Maryland Department of Planning recently updated its Housing Data Dashboard to include 2022 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Area Median Income (AMI) data and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2016-2020 Five-Year Estimates. The Housing Data Dashboard, part of the Housing Element Models & Guidelines website developed by Planning in 2020, helps jurisdictions meet the comprehensive planning requirements of HB 1045, passed in 2019. The AMI data is displayed, for whichever geography (county, place, census tract) a user selects, in the dashboard’s AMI calculator (Figure 1, shown below).

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HB 90 (2021) Modifies Comprehensive Plan Housing Element Requirements: What Maryland Jurisdictions Need to Know

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Resources and Tools 

by Joseph Griffiths, AICP, Local Assistance and Training Manager

In June 2020, HB 1045 (2019) required, for the first time, that all Maryland comprehensive plans include a housing element addressing affordable housing for low income and workforce households.[1]

In response to this requirement, the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), in partnership with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and a diverse housing stakeholder group, developed a Housing Element Models & Guidelines website.

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American Community Survey (ACS) Results Now Available

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Resources and Tools

by Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner 

The five-year American Community Survey (ACS) data for 2016-2020 has been released and is now available for all geographies in Maryland on the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) website. 

The ACS is an ongoing, nationwide, monthly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB) covering a sample of approximately three-million households each year and is used to create an estimate of socioeconomic trends in communities across the U.S. As described by the USCB, the “ACS helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed population and housing information about our nation.” The ACS is now the source for all socioeconomic data that was formerly obtained solely from the decennial census.  

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