Past Projects

SEED Initiative

The Sustainable and Equitable Economic Development (SEED) Initiative was created to promote and implement an equitable and sustainable economic development approach in PlanMaryland, the state’s first state development plan.

High School GIS Internship Program

In the summer of 2014, the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education and the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland hosted seven high school students as interns. The six-week summer internship program was in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Makeover Montgomery (2011)

The National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, the Montgomery County Planning Department and the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland, co-hosted Makeover Montgomery, a conference focused on sustainable strategies for suburban communities facing demographic shifts, changing housing preferences, and growing infrastructure costs.

Makeover Montgomery 2 (2014)

Following the success of the original Makeover Montgomery conference in 2011, the NCSG partnered once again with the Montgomery County Planning Department and the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland to host a sequel focused on the future sustainability of America’s suburbs. Subtitled "Moving Forward Montgomery," the conference’s three main themes were: Transportation and TOD, Creative Use of Public Assets/Public-Private Partnerships, and Current Planning Trends.

Makeover Montgomery 3 (2016)

The third installment of the Makeover Montgomery conferences was held in May 2016 in a continued partnership with the Montgomery County Planning Department and the UMD Urban Studies and Planning Program. Subtitled "Balancing Change in America's Suburbs," the conference focused on three primary tracks: Beyond Transit-Oriented Development, The Sharing Economy, and Equity and Opportunity in the Suburbs.

Maryland Statewide Transportation Model

In cooperation with Parsons Brinckerhoff, the NCSG developed the first version of the Maryland Statewide Transportation Model, an analytic tool designed to address issues beyond the coverage and capabilities of the two primary MPO models in the State of Maryland.

STAR Project

Working with local governments, civic organizations, and local residents in each Western Maryland county, the Sustainable Transformation of the Appalachian Region (STAR) Project team identified the particular needs and opportunities for sustainable economic development in Western Maryland. The work included analysis of existing social, economic, and environmental conditions including housing, transportation, and critical infrastructure.

Maryland Scenario Project

What would happen if further BRAC decisions continued to distribute jobs to the far corners of the state, if a second bridge connected Maryland’s Eastern and Western Shores, or if commuter rail were connected and extensive between the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas?

Barriers to Development in Priority Funding Areas

The Housing Strategies Group of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education conducted a study on the efficacy of Maryland’s Priority Funding Areas in focusing development. The findings of the study are based on responses to a telephone survey of forty-seven representatives from three key stakeholder groups—planners, policy advocates and consultants, and developers.

Maryland Smart Growth Indicators Project

This project monitored Maryland’s performance through eight categories of growth indicators in order to make better progress toward smarter patterns of growth.

Reality Check Plus

The NCSG and its partners developed and coordinated a series of regional growth visioning exercises conducted in four regions of the State of Maryland as part of an effort to engage the public in a dialog about future growth in the state.