Post #2 - Reinvestment Projects

Baltimore City is gradually becoming more lively and more upbeat as a community rather than the traditional slum that has been held in people's minds for years. But in order for this rebuilding to take place, in order for Station North to become as beautiful and popular as it once was many years ago, there need to be some changes. Some of these changes include refocusing the people of the city, building more housing areas, inviting more art and music into the community, and creating a center of transportation, education, and creativity.

It is fascinating to see some of the projects that have been taking place in order to draw and keep more people in the Station North area. One of the projects that caught my eye was the expansion of Johns Hopkins University. Hopkins is expanding more into the area of Station North between its Peabody and Homewood campuses, and is also pairing with the Maryland Institute College of Art to develop a greater concentration in the arts, particularly film and media (Woods, "Can Station North Save the City?").

John's Hopkins University

(http://www.loop21.com/life/highest-gpa-johns-hopkins-university-history-nigerian-student)

Another huge rebuilding effort taking place in Baltimore is the construction of new housing units. Baltimore has lost over a third of its population since 1950, and the majority of its current residents are between 19 and 33 years old ("Millennials Lead Baltimore Forward"). Once these young people start families, they look elsewhere outside the city to settle down, in a safer and homelier environment. The decrease in population is trying to be controlled by inviting more people into the community and offering better housing and school developments.

New housing for artist in Baltimore

(http://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2013/03/its-neighborhood-stupid-art-as-urban.html)

Besides using housing construction to draw more people into the city, the overall increase in the focus on the arts has become a highlight in Baltimore. Station North has devoted money, resources, and time to create better environments for young artists to grow and achieve their dreams. Single Carrot Theatre, more restaurants, Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation expansion, Red Emma's, and North Avenue Market are some of the renovations currently underway or in planning.

Single Carrot Theatre, picture with founders

(http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-01-18/entertainment/bs-ae-single-carrot-new-home-20140118_1_elliott-rauh-single-carrot-theatre-de-mahy)

Specifically, the Greenmount West community has undergone extensive change. Specifically, the establishment of the Baltimore Design School, in addition to rehabilitated houses and a City Arts Building, is an important part of the renovations. The Baltimore Design School is a public middle and high school (grades 6-12 by 2016) that focuses on Fashion Design, Architecture, and Graphic Design (Baltimore Design School, "Our Philosophy"). This school is a huge step to increase awareness and respect of the arts in the city of Baltimore, especially in younger generations.

Baltimore Design School

(http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/Building_Types_Study/k-12/2014/1401-baltimore-design-school-ziger-snead-architects.asp)

The last reinvestment project I am focusing on is one that cities in general find absolutely necessary to development and growth. Transportation centers are vital to cities, especially including Baltimore. Station North is encouraging development in Amtrak around Penn Station in order to create a better commuting community with easy access to Washington D.C. and other parts of the area (Woods, "Can Station North Save the City?").

Baltimore Penn Station

(http://www.kilduffs.com/Trains.html)

Cities are essential in the world today. But keeping those cities alive is proving to be more and more difficult. If renovations are not taken seriously, without the proper resources and investment profiles, the ultimate end of the rebuilding is destruction and decay. Jane Jacobs writes about city planning, "'the practitioners and teachers of this discipline ... have ignored the study of successes and failures in real life ... and are guided instead by principles derived from the behavior and appearance of towns, suburbs, tuberculosis sanatoria, fairs, and imaginary dream cities - from anything but cities themselves'" (The Death and Life of Great American Cities). Only through studying the cities themselves, how they grow, what people they attract, when problems arise, how they reconstruct themselves in difficult times, can we understand the true meaning of city planning and reinvesting.

My Sources

Jacobs, Jane. "Introduction." The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1961. 6. Print. 

"Millennials Lead Baltimore Forward." Comeback City. N.p., 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. <https://blackboard.stevenson.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-687496-dt-content-rid-4159232_1/courses/14SSEM_HON_214S_01/Preview%20of%20%E2%80%9CMillennials%20Lead%20Baltimore%20Forward%20%20%20Comeback%20City%E2%80%9D.pdf>. 

"Our Philosophy." Baltimore Design School. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. <http://baltimoredesignschool.com/>.

Pousson, Eli. "Preservation works in Station North: Re-making Historic Buildings for a new Baltimore." Baltimore Heritage. N.p., 15 Feb. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. <https://blackboard.stevenson.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-687496-dt-content-rid-4159231_1/courses/14SSEM_HON_214S_01/Preview%20of%20%E2%80%9CPreservation%20works%20in%20St...re%20%20%20Baltimore%20Heritage%E2%80%9D.pdf>.

Wards, Baynard. "Can Station North Save the City?." Baltimore City Paper. N.p., 3 July 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. <https://blackboard.stevenson.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-687496-dt-content-rid-4159230_1/courses/14SSEM_HON_214S_01/%E2%80%9CCan%20Station%20North%20Save%20t...%20-%20Baltimore%20City%20Paper%E2%80%9D.pdf>.