MARKETING ANACOSTIA: CREATING A PUBLIC HEART IN ANACOSTIA

The eastern side of the Anacostia River, is an ongoing hotspot for commercial and residential redevelopment in Washington, D.C. Often referred to as “Anacostia”, its reputation for its various recreational parks, natural commodities, and historical districts which date back to the 19th century is notorious. The commercial district along Martin Luther King Jr Avenue is currently being redeveloped by large real estate corporations. As a result, these development campaigns are causing significant shifts in population and demographics. This gentrification phenomenon is prompting the demand for additional storage spaces and a desire to synthesize surviving local businesses with the newer markets that came in after development. Therefore, this document will actively explore the relationship between storage vs business and will investigate opportunity sites for a potential commercial “heart” for the local region of Anacostia

Bioclimatic Design: Research at Assateague State Park

Final project for ARCH600/611: Urban Studies and Planning Studio (Fall 2021). University of Maryland, College Park.Through their work with the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland (UMD), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources commissioned this report from the university’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS). This research study, conducted in a graduate level design studio, began with a shared vision that people and nature can co-exist in a mutually beneficial relationship. Angela Baldwin, Park Manager at Assateague State Park, and her colleagues from NOAA, the Maryland Park Service, the Chesapeake Coastal Service, and other DNR offices, challenged the University of Maryland team to test this vision in the design of a new day use facility for Assateague State Park, a much-beloved, special place that is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The climate crisis requires architects to deepen their understanding of resilient design strategies. These range from place-based climate-responsive knowledge rarely taught in schools of architecture, to more technically advanced tools such as computer energy modeling, efficient mechanical equipment and on-site renewable energy.Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR