News

Purple Line stations need safer access for pedestrians, planners say

Suburban roads designed to move traffic need better sidewalks and crosswalks to make Purple Line stations easier and safer to reach on foot and bicycle, according to a new study by Montgomery County planners. Gerrit Knaap, director of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland, said taking such a granular look at walkability is “pretty cutting-edge work.” A group affiliated with the center, the Purple Line Corridor Coalition, contributed to the Montgomery research and plans to work with Prince George’s planners on an additional study. Read more..

 

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Maryland’s History of Redlining Briefing

 

Please join Delegate Brooke Lierman for a discussion on the legacy of redlining in Maryland, zoning issues, and new trends in creating more equitable zoning laws that can lead to housing opportunities for everyone.

She will be joined by special guests, Gerrit Knaap, Executive Director of National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland; Seema Iyer, Director of the Real Estate and Economic Development (REED) program in the Merrick School of Business (MSB); Willow Lung-Amam, Associate Professor of Urban Studies and Planning and Director of Community Development at the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education; and Dan Reed, Founder of Just Up the Pike.

Questions will be collected in advance. Please write your questions below – they will be sent to the presenters before the Webinar so that they have time to prepare thorough answers.

**After you register, you will receive details to join the ZOOM call through the Google Form.**

Thank you! Please spread the word and invite others to join for this informative call.

For more information on this briefing and others, please visit www.brookelierman.com/briefingsat

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Sustainable Planet Data Analysis at the UMD Data Challenge

The annual UMD Data Challenge this year boasted a huge success with 146 participants and some of the most advanced analysis and visualization the challenge has seen to date. 

The challenge is a week-long data exploration event at the University of Maryland hosted by The College of Information Studies, The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and The Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

There are different levels of datasets available so that even those with little to no knowledge in data science can participate. With five levels total, the highest level involves advanced data analysis knowledge and skills. The problem statement includes requirements of modeling, and the dataset has a complex structure, numerous variables of interest, and spatial-temporal dimensions.

National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) PhD Assistant, Frank Zou, plays a central role in organizing the UMD Data Challenge. Zou says that participants, mentors, judges, and dataset providers all had favorable responses about the outcome of this year’s event. Zou looks forward to a Data Challenge that is the largest yet in 2021. 

NCSG is a sponsor of the UMD Data Challenge and had numerous faculty involved in the event as mentors and judges. 

View the 2020 UMD Data Challenge Winners here.

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