How will Maryland grow in the future? We will need to continue smart growth efforts to balance development pressures while keeping Maryland a terrific place to live, work and play. The fact that we are a compact, growing, diverse state with many unique communities and environmental resources, including the Chesapeake Bay, makes this even more important.
Planning is vital to accommodate growth in ways that are sensitive to what makes Maryland great. Redevelopment and revitalization are growing in importance not just to our towns and cities but to our older suburban communities, too. These areas have been targeted by millennials as the next "it" places, and populations have been surging in Baltimore, Frederick, Salisbury and Cambridge, to name a few.
Maryland has a long history of state-level planning and is rightly regarded as a national leader. The state planning department was created in 1959 to manage growth in a comprehensive way, including implementing a state development plan. Over the decades, the state developed a range of smart growth-related programs across several agencies. When I became planning secretary under Gov. Martin O'Malley, I worked with sister agencies and many stakeholders to develop Maryland's first state development plan, later called PlanMaryland. It was only 52 years late.
PlanMaryland is not a top-down strategy. It recognizes all the great planning work of our local governments, the development community and nonprofit organizations, and links them with state agency programs with an emphasis on synergies and improved coordination. One of the most important things the O'Malley administration did to advance smart growth was to make it a comprehensive and coordinated planning program across state agencies as opposed to a scattering of individual programs. This approach helps streamline funding from the state to local governments, as through the Sustainable Communities program, planning.maryland.gov/YourPart/SustainableCommunities.shtml, which focuses funds to designated towns, cities and centers. Rural, suburban and urban communities have all benefited, with significant land preservation efforts, small and big town revitalization and infrastructure programs, technical assistance and other services.
PlanMaryland calls for coordinating economic development across the state. To this end, the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) recently released Placing Jobs, planning.maryland.gov/OurWork/placingJobs/jobsindex.shtml, an online resource that details how Maryland jurisdictions can plan for strategically placed economic development using the local comprehensive plan process.
State planning has served Maryland well. Among the highlights of this administration: planning commissioner training that ensures local decision-makers have a solid foundation in planning and zoning laws, strengthening the role of local comprehensive plans, growth analysis and technical assistance to local governments, increased resources for historic preservation and community revitalization, and legislation that limits sprawling subdivisions on septic tanks from gobbling up farm and forest land. MDP also now has the highest percentage of certified planners ever to serve the agency.
Speaking as a 30-year planner, eight years as secretary, it is imperative to continue smart growth in Maryland for economic and community development, as well as to protect our unique environment. This will mean continuing partnerships with smart growth stakeholders, especially local governments. Rural, suburban and urban communities have benefited from the state's programs. We do not have an acre or a block to waste. Small and large downtowns are becoming more attractive across the country. Maryland's history of being a strong smart growth state will serve it well in the future, but only if we keep the ball moving.
It has been a privilege to serve my home state as secretary for the past eight years. I am optimistic that Maryland's legacy of wise planning will continue with the new administration after I leave and hope to do my part to make that happen.
Richard Eberhart Hall is Maryland's outgoing planning secretary. His email is richard.eberhart.hall@gmail.com.