Section III: Project 2 Re-write

The University Center will support UMD’s Sustainable Maryland Certified initiative in providing sustainable economic development assistance to the state’s municipalities. Sustainable Maryland Certified, a project of UMD’s Environmental Finance Center, connects local leaders with training opportunities, expertise and other free resources to help them define their local economies and identify ways to make them more sustainable. Municipalities are awarded points as they make progress in areas such as natural resource conservation, social equity, economic development, agriculture, and built environment.

The University Center will be housed in UMD’s Urban and Regional Planning and Design program, which specializes in economic development, one of the SMC focus areas. As such, it is well-positioned to connect the SMC program with resources, networks and partners, and to identify applied research opportunities.

The UC grant will cover the following types of assistance to EFC:

1. The UC will conduct statewide asset mapping and social network analysis to highlight regional economic strengths and to identify missing links in regional innovation networks. This information will help EFC point municipal leaders to potential partners and collaboration opportunities across the state.

To begin this project, the UC will identify key resources throughout the state, such as businesses, local and state programs, and community institutions that lead in innovative, ‘green’, or sustainable practices. Assets will also be identified by reviewing the state’s and municipalities’ previous economic reports, researching through the Internet and other information sources, and gathering information through local leaders of private, public, academic and non-profit institutions# A database with the profiles of the identified assets will be created and municipalities will be able to use the database to identify partners based upon matching interests and abilities. The asset map will increase the EFC’s ability to build capacity in communities by creating stronger and richer networks to support increased collaboration across the state. This project will promote the ability of local economies to share resources and increase the amount of shared project ideas and, in turn, facilitate innovations in sustainable practices. The map will also provide a guide to identifying possible gaps in sustainable economic development processes as well as provide a point of comparison by which to judge the progress of network building.

This effort will be particularly useful in connecting successful efforts in distressed areas, which often lack visibility, with the rest of the state. Community leaders have explained that distressed areas are experimenting with innovative approaches to sustainable development in isolated “pockets”, and that regional cooperation is needed to bring these efforts to scale. Examples in Prince George’s County include the formation of a complete “green street” in Edmonston; the development of a zero-runoff plan in the City of Forest Heights; and plans for a Community Development Corporation specifically focused on sustainable development in Greenbelt#. UC-EFC collaboration will help communities leverage economic benefits from these initiatives. In turn, the University Center will gather information about best practices and “lessons learned” that can be shared at practitioner trainings [i.e. Project #1].

2. Through the EFC, the UC will provide 200 hours of tailored technical assistance to individual municipalities on sustainable economic development. The UC may respond to specific needs identified by the EFC by highlighting applied research opportunities within the University, preparing ‘how to’ guides, identifying grant opportunities and providing grantwriting help, and delivering other forms of assistance as requested by the EFC.

The University of Maryland has a history of working with neighboring communities on sustainable development. In recent years, students and faculty completed several studies for localities throughout the state, including distressed areas. Individualized technical assistance would extend the life of these studies by enabling continued interaction between the University and local leaders as recommendations are implemented. Examples of studies that could be built on include:

• A recent industrial land-use study recommending that Prince George’s County form a “green industrial zone”. Rather than proposing total brownfield redevelopment, this emerging strategy aims to retain industrial land by helping companies become more productive and environmentally sustainable. The UC could connect industry leaders to existing technology transfer and entrepreneurship programs at the University of Maryland and Morgan State# to assist with the development of “green” production processes that increase productivity and quality while reducing negative impacts on communities and ecosystems.

• Various studies examining sustainability challenges facing the state’s agricultural sector. One program that could be facilitated by the UC in collaboration with EFC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, located only five miles from the University, is the development of a Food Hub, which would enable Prince George’s County’s farmers to produce at scale by centralizing marketing, warehousing and other functions.

• A study identifying opportunities for arts-driven revitalization in Baltimore’s West Side. [this will need to be expanded if we decide that it is appropriate]
  

iii. This project would generate substantial economic impacts in the service region. In addition to creating and retaining up to [TBD] private sector jobs and leveraging [TBD] in private sector capital investments, these initiatives would result in the University initiating research in support of local efforts. [Another benefit might be that local communities, once networked, will have developed constituencies for sustainable development]. Finally, this project will highlight economic ecosystems within distressed regions and connect them to regions that have performed strongly. [We also need to figure out how to measure results].