Ben Seigel has had a busy 2019. Just a little over one year into his position as Baltimore City’s opportunity zone coordinator, he has been tracking down potential investors to deploy funds into one or more of the city’s 42 ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

In the course of my consulting career, I came increasingly to see the impacts that immigrants and refugees were having on our cities and metropolitan areas. I became immersed in that understanding in the prior decade when, in the course ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

If you are concerned with this region’s long-term economic development prospects, you should be paying attention to the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission. If you think that Maryland should be preparing young scholars for college and careers that will require ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

The Greater Baltimore Committee’s recent transportation summit once again placed a spotlight on the need for the Baltimore area to invest in infrastructure critical to the region’s economic progress. The program featured a panel of speakers providing national, state and ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

A few days ago, I responded to knocking at my front door. Standing outside was a pleasant woman who announced that she was working on the 2020 census and needed to confirm that my location was still a residential address. ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

It may be useful to remind folks that proposed improvements to our network of roadways, bridges, transit services and other elements of the surface transportation system  have to come about through a formal planning process defined in federal law. Each ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

Most folks, should they happen to think of the Federal Reserve Bank, would typically consider it in its role as central banker. They may know that the Fed helps steer the nation’s economy from any dangerous shoals and that its ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

As an alum of PennDesign, I have been receiving reminders that this year is the 50th anniversary of the publication of a major work, “Design with Nature,” by Ian McHarg. A Scotsman born near Glasgow, McHarg, after spending seven years ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

As someone with a background in city and regional planning, I suppose I should be gratified to learn of the many planning enterprises now underway in our area. Certainly, the American Planning Association and kindred professional groups serving city planners, ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson

“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized.  Make big plans; aim high in hope and work …” Those are the words of Daniel Burnham, the architect and city ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson