Opening the annual Congress for the New Urbanism Thursday evening in Manhattan, Maryland Governor Parris Glendening outlined his state’s efforts in what he called a critical national issue and the number one priority for states across the country “fighting against unplanned or poorly planned development.”

Glendening declared that preserving and improving the quality of life is a key issue of economic survival and development in information-based economies.

The Governor’s presentation showed the massive leap in land consumption that occurred in Maryland during the 1980s.Prior to the 1960s, development was confined closely to the immediate metropolitan regions of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.He said that the 1980s-1990s growth patterns were “devastating destroying the beauty of our state and increasing the tax burden.”

Glendening called smart growth an essentially conservative idea that saves money, reduces waste and promotes community values.He outlined a variety of state policy and budget moves that he said have led Maryland to the point where it is now preserving more farmland and open space than is being lost to development each year.Local aid programs foster zoning changes promoting more traditional town and neighborhood design.New tax credits and state investment in rail and bus service are increasing transit’s share of commuting.Glendening has also set up a new Institute for Smart Growth Research at the University of MD at College Park.

In closing, the Governor said the federal government must become a key partner in efforts around the country to strengthen centers and stop sprawl.Federal facilities like post offices and courthouse should be cited according to smart accessibility criteria, while federal transportation aid must shift from its still-overwhelming emphasis on highways to provide far more support for transit.Glendening said federal investments and policies were important forces in driving sprawl during the post-war period, and would be necessary to reverse the trend and help states and localities build better communities and transportation systems.

The Congress for the New Urbanism is a national coalition of architects, planners and community activists advocating more human-scaled planning and design of the built infrastructure.Its charter states that the Congress “views disinvestment in central cities, the spread of placeless sprawl, increasing separation by race and income, environmental deterioration, loss of agricultural lands and wilderness, and the erosion of society's built heritage as one interrelated community-building challenge.”Last week’s conference in NYC, the Congress’ 9^th annual gathering, drew about 1,000 attendees.The Congress’ transportation task force has published a variety of “tech sheets” on-line and is working on a new urbanist street design manual.See www.cnu.org

Congress for New Urbanism

The Mayor From Another Planet - November 5, 1999

Orangetown's Model Moratorium - October 27, 2000

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