state development plan

Commerce Subcabinet Hears Regional Priorities

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Planning in Progress

by Joe Griffiths

In the May edition of Planning Practice Wednesday, we introduced readers to the Department of Commerce’s new Regional Resources Workgroup. Since that time, the Commerce Subcabinet established five regional teams (Eastern Shore, Baltimore Area, Western Maryland, Southern Maryland, DC Metro Area) composed of state staff from agencies including the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Maryland Higher Education Council (MHEC), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Department of Labor, and others. Each team has a regional leader who organizes bi-monthly conference calls to discuss regional issues and propose methods through which state agencies serving on the Commerce Subcabinet can assist local economic development projects and help jurisdictions overcome barriers. Continue reading →

A Better Maryland Initiates Second Round of Community Outreach

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Planning Assistance in Action

Following a summer of analysis and collaboration with our partners, the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) is once again set to traverse the state’s communities and continue the dialogue about A Better Maryland, the new state development plan. The outpouring of community engagement during the first round of 72 listening sessions was exhilarating. Thousands of Marylanders contributed feedback at public meetings and online. We received over 1,700 comments ranging in topics from infrastructure to housing! You can find them on our What We’ve Heard page.

Two overarching topics stood out. Reviewing the comments and the survey responses, it became clear that the environment and economic development form the core of what Marylanders want a state development plan to address. Continue reading →

A Better Maryland Listening Sessions Drawing to a Close

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Planning Assistance in Action

21 out of 24. In the spirit of the NCAA basketball tournament, that equates to an excellent free throw percentage. It could also represent the number of daffodils blooming in your garden this spring. But at the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), it signifies the counties Planning has visited in its first round of listening sessions for the new A Better Maryland state deveopment plan. 21 out of 24 counties and Baltimore City. Talk about statewide coverage…
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A Better Maryland Reaches Milestone, but the Conversation Continues

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Planning Assistance in Action

Explaining A Better Maryland in Queen Anne’s County

On February 15, at the Wharves of Choptank Visitor Center in Denton, A Better Maryland passed the halfway point in its initial outreach period. The Caroline County listening sessions marked the 13th of 24 (all 23 counties and Baltimore City) engagement events that the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) is conducting through early spring. The purpose of the sessions is to discover how officials, staff, and members of the community think A Better Maryland, the new state development plan, can best assist them in advancing local planning, economic, and community development objectives. Continue reading →

Get Involved, Attend A Better Maryland Listening Sessions

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Word cloud in response to the question “What is your community’s greatest strength?” Wicomico listening session

Make sure to express your voice on A Better Maryland when the project team comes to your county. Planning meets with local staff and officials during the day, but the pinnacle of our visits are the evening community listening sessions. Thus far, the public has come prepared. Below are a few of the themes we have been hearing. Continue reading →