Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations at Maryland State Parks

Final project for Independent Study (Winter 2022). 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 (MDNR) and NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce commissioned this final report from the University’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS). PALS works with local jurisdictions throughout Maryland to identify projects and problems that can be taught through university courses where students focus on developing innovative, research-based solutions. The Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations at Maryland State Parks project concentrated on providing advanced climate change impacts and adaptation graphics. This includes an overall booklet and individual pages. If used, please provide credit to the UMD School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation.Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR

Adapting Assateague: Design for Resilient Buildings and Landscapes at Assategue State Park

Final project for ARCH601: Adapting Assateague Studio (Summer 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 (MDNR) commissioned this report from the university’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS). PALS works with local jurisdictions throughout Maryland to identify projects and problems that can be taught through university courses where students focus on developing innovative, research-based solutions. Adapting Assateague Studio is an architectural studio concentration on advanced topical inquiry. This course was run in partnership with the PALS program. The Studio was tasked to work directly with the Department of Natural Resources to design a new Ranger Station and create a Resiliency Masterplan for the island.Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR

Exploring Public Access Along the Anacostia River Trail System

An exploration of the accessibility of the Anacostia River Trail System.URSP600: Qualitative Research Methods worked on a PALS project regarding the Anacostia River Trail System. The class partnered with Prince George’s County Planning Department to conduct a sweeping study of the trail system: its physical attributes, users, and history. Upon concluding initial research, the class agreed that their study would focus on potential barriers to trail access amongst Prince George’s County residents. Access refers to general access to the trail versus ADA compliance. The class then conducted various forms of research through demographic, economic, and archival analysis; physical, aural, and participant observations; and interviews and focus groups to better understand these potential barriers. At the end of the semester, the class produced a report with findings that suggest the three most significant barriers to trail access may be lack of awareness, safety concerns, and difficulties with physical access. The department can use this foundational analysis of the trail and its users as they undergo further efforts to improve the Anacostia River Trail System

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