Resources for Improving Economic Growth and Development in Existing Communities

 

Other State Plans

Areas of Critical State Concern

Arts and Entertainment Districts

Maryland’s Arts & Entertainment (A&E) Districts help develop and promote community involvement, tourism, and revitalization through tax-related incentives that attract artists, arts organizations, and other creative enterprises to towns and cities across the State.

Certified Heritage Areas

The Maryland Heritage Areas Program offers targeted financial and technical assistance within thirteen locally designated Heritage Areas, each of which has a distinct focus or theme that represents a unique aspect of Maryland’s character.

Certified Local Governments

The Certified Local Government (CLG) program recognizes counties and municipalities that have made a special commitment to preservation, including establishing a qualified historic preservation commission to designate and review historic properties.

Coastal Community Flood Risk Areas

Maryland’s Coastal Resiliency Assessment is a landscape-level spatial analysis and modeling effort that identifies where natural habitats provide the greatest potential risk reduction for coastal communities.

Enterprise Zones

The Enterprise Zone program provides real property and state income tax credits for businesses located in a Maryland enterprise zone in return for job creation and investments.

Forest Service

The Forest Service restores, manages, and protects Maryland’s trees, forests, and forested ecosystems to sustain our natural resources and connect people to the land.

Land Acquisition and Planning Programs

The Department of Natural Resources Land Acquisition and Planning Unit works to advance land conservation and outdoor recreational opportunities in Maryland.

Maryland Main Streets

Main Street Maryland is a comprehensive downtown revitalization program to strengthen the economic potential of Maryland’s traditional main streets and neighborhoods.

Opportunity Zones

The Opportunity Zone program is a nationwide initiative administered by the U.S. Treasury created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Job’s Act. The program provides federal tax incentives for investment in distressed communities over the next 10 years. Areas designated as Opportunity Zones will be able to reap the benefits of capital gains to help redevelop underserved communities. Developed by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to facilitate Opportunity Zone investment, the Maryland Opportunity Zone Information Exchange is the first comprehensive, interactive resource of its kind in the nation.

RISE Zones

Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise (RISE) Zone Program is a geographic area that has a strong connection with a qualified institution and is targeted for increased economic and community development.

Rural Legacy Areas

The Rural Legacy Program was created in 1997 to protect large, contiguous tracts of Maryland's most precious cultural and natural resource lands through grants made to local applicants.

Sustainable Communities (DHCD)

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's Sustainable Communities Program is a place-based designation offering a comprehensive package of resources that support holistic strategies for community development, revitalization and sustainability. Led by the Department, Sustainable Communities has provided local governments with a framework for promoting environmentally, economically and socially responsible growth and development in existing older communities.

Targeted Ecological Areas

The GreenPrint map displays Targeted Ecological Areas (TEAs), lands and watersheds of high ecological value that have been identified as conservation priorities by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Wildlife and Heritage Service

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’s Wildlife and Heritage Service manages wildlife species in the state by monitoring wildlife populations, establishing hunting seasons, managing the habitat on public Wildlife Management Areas, protecting endangered species, and providing advice on wildlife issues.

State Programs Provided to Local Jurisdictions

Agricultural Products Development and Marketing

Identify and develop profitable marketing local, national, and international opportunities for Maryland farmers and agricultural producers.

Chesapeake & Coastal Service Programs

Maryland’s Chesapeake & Coastal Service is a partnership among local, regional and state agencies to ensure that the expertise, tools and financial resources are used to their utmost capacity to address Chesapeake, coastal and ocean management priorities.

Climate Leadership Academy

The Maryland Climate Leadership Academy will advance the capacity of state and local government agencies, infrastructure organizations and businesses to develop and implement sound climate change initiatives thus ensuring current and future public health, security and economic prosperity.

Energy Performance and Conservation Program

The State Energy Database is a comprehensive large-scale utility management system that provides access, accountability, and trackability for 58 State entities.

Federal Surplus Property Donation Program

The Federal Surplus Property Donation Program enables certain non-federal organizations to obtain surplus property from the Federal government. The Department of General Services is the designated state agency to administer this program in Maryland.

Fisheries Programs

The fisheries programs are intended to provide for the conservation and equitable use of fishery resources.

Home Ownership/Affordable Housing

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's homeownership and rental housing programs help families in Maryland find, maintain and keep affordable and livable housing in communities throughout the state.

Land Restoration Program (Brownfields)

The Land Restoration Program focuses on cleaning up uncontrolled hazardous waste sites throughout Maryland.

Local Education Agency Design Development/Construction Document Reviewer Certification Program

The Department of General Services’ certification process to streamline the State funded school project review by qualified Local Education Authorities.

Maryland Arts Grants

Through these programs, the Maryland State Arts Council impacts a broad range of individuals, communities and institutions across the state. Select a program to learn more about associated events, activities and grants.

Maryland Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Programs

Maryland Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Program is to encourage private sector investment in the rehabilitation and re-use of historic buildings and to promote investment in local economies.

Maryland Watershed Implementation Plan

Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) document the steps, measures, and practices Maryland and its local jurisdictions will take and implement to achieve and maintain the final Chesapeake Bay TMDL by the year 2025.

More Jobs For Marylanders

More Jobs for Marylanders, promotes the growth of manufacturing in Maryland by providing tax incentives for manufacturing job creation, encourages manufacturers to invest in new equipment through accelerated and bonus depreciation, and funds job training and apprenticeship programs to help strengthen Maryland's workforce.

Project Green Classrooms environmental education initiative

Project Green Classroom is an initiative to promote outdoor experiential activities and environmental education through Maryland’s schools, communities and public lands.

Tourism Development

Office of Tourism Development assistance programs.

Workforce Development & Adult Learning

The Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning creatively and effectively coordinates job seeker services and training, business services, adult learning programs, and labor market information.

Other Resources

2022 Water Resources Element Guidance Update

The Water Resources Element (WRE), a statutory requirement for local comprehensive plans, is designed to ensure that local plans for growth and development can be supported given limitations and constraints of water resources and water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure. This WRE Guidance Update provides best practices for considering and addressing water-related climate change impacts, and for addressing the challenges that growth and development pose to our collective efforts to protect and restore Maryland waterbodies. The WRE Guidance Update outlines best practices and is an advisory document. Comprehensive planning, including WRE development, is a local government decision.

Commuter Choice MD

Commuter Choice Maryland is the Maryland Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Travel Demand Management Program. This program enables MDOT to address key goals, objectives, and strategies that will maximize traveler choices, and deliver transportation solutions and services that can reduce congestion, conserve energy, protect the environment, facilitate economic opportunity, enhance the quality of life for everyone while saving you money and reducing stress.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits people gain from the environment can be collectively referred to as Ecosystem Services, which are commonly divided into four major categories: provisioning services (e.g. timber, firewood, food), regulating services (e.g. water purification, wildlife habitat), supporting services (e.g. nutrient cycling, soil formation) and cultural services (e.g. recreation, spiritual benefits.

Get Kids Outside Website

A storymap of Project Green Classrooms

Housing Market: County Profiles

Annual county housing market profiles reporting on housing indicators, demographics, and DHCD investment.

Maryland Broadband Cooperative Network Coverage Map

Maryland Broadband Cooperative’s (MDBC) coverage area map depicts service to rural Maryland by building an advanced, world-class broadband network across the rural communities of Eastern Shore, Southern, and Western Maryland supported by its Members who provide Last Mile service

Maryland Commerce Community Demographics Tool (ZoomProspector)

The Maryland Department of Commerce has an enhanced online tool to help businesses looking to move into Maryland or expand in the state find both the properties and the Maryland communities that best meet their needs. The property search engine, known as ZoomProspector, offers demographic information about communities across the state.

Maryland Commerce Property Search Tool (ZoomProspector)

The Maryland Department of Commerce has an enhanced online tool to help businesses looking to move into Maryland or expand in the state find both the properties and the Maryland communities that best meet their needs. The property search engine, known as ZoomProspector, offers a broad range of information about available buildings and sites.

Maryland Environmental Public Health Tracking

Maryland Environmental Public Health Tracking shows data on environmental measures like air pollution, health measures like blood lead, and demographic factors that can affect health.

Maryland InfoPortal

Maryland InfoPortal is the best one stop for finding financial and non-financial assistance, containing links to 700-plus state programs providing financial, non-financial and technical assistance and direct development to local government, civic and private organizations, and individuals.

Maryland Public Water Access

This web page provides information on public water access sites in Maryland. Sites listed include boat ramps and soft launches (specifically for non-motorized vessels).

Maryland TOD Page

The Maryland Departments of Planning and Transportation (MDP and MDOT) have created comprehensive online planning and implementation resources to support state and local TOD efforts. This website provides a springboard for local jurisdictions, planners, elected officials, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, real estate professionals and the general public who are interested in advancing TOD or TOD principles in their jurisdictions.

Maryland Town Manager Circuit Rider Program

The Maryland Town Manager Circuit Rider Program assists small town and city governments with building their administrative capacity.

Maryland Vital Statistics

Annual reporting by county on population, life expectancy, birth statistics, and mortality statistics.

Maryland's Green Infrastructure Assessment

The Green Infrastructure Assessment (GIA), based on principles of landscape ecology and conservation biology, identified an ecological network using satellite imagery to characterize land cover, Geographic Information System (GIS) data on road, stream, wetland and other resource features, and biological databases.

Maryland's Workforce and Labor Market Data

Your source for Maryland's Workforce and Labor Market Data

Maryland's Zero Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council (ZEEVIC)

The ZEEVIC is charged with the development of policies, recommendations, and incentives that increase awareness of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs).

MD Bikeways Interactive Map

The Bikeways Program provides grant support for a wide range of bicycle network development activities. This interactive map shows bikeway awards by year and category.

MDOT Environmental Programs Interactive Map

A series of storymaps of MDOT's comprehensive systems approach to environmental stewardship.

MDP Priority Funding Area Map

Priority Funding Areas are existing communities and places where local governments want State investment to support future growth.

Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change Phase I: Sea-level rise and coastal storms

Maryland’s Climate Action Plan includes two climate change adaptation strategies that are currently being used to guide state-level adaptation planning efforts. The first strategy (Phase I) addresses the impacts associated with sea level rise and coastal storms.

Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change Phase II: Building societal, economic, and ecological resilience

Maryland’s Climate Action Plan includes two climate change adaptation strategies that are currently being used to guide state-level adaptation planning efforts. The second strategy (Phase II) addresses changes in precipitation patterns and increased temperature, and the likely impacts to human health, agriculture, forest and terrestrial ecosystems, bay and aquatic environments, water resources, and population growth and infrastructure.

Reinvest Maryland

A Guide to Accelerating Infill, Redevelopment and Community Revitalization, Reinvest Maryland represents an opportunity for all levels of government to work together, strengthen collaborative efforts to support revitalization and reinvestment, and to engage stakeholders of all types in the effort to rebuild our communities and improve quality of life.

SMART DG+

SmartDG+ is an online, map-based screening tool to help developers and officials identify promising areas for the location of new wind and solar projects in Maryland. The tool focuses on screening factors of relevance to projects greater than 2 MW (i.e., bigger than rooftop solar.)

Snapshot Maryland Transportation Planning Dashboard

The Transportation Planning Dashboard is an interactive web map that provides users with socio-economic, demographic, employment, commuting information, and other transportation-related data. The Transportation Planning Dashboard is one of many dashboards planned under the Snapshot Maryland initiative.

State Revitalization Programs

DHCD’s State Revitalization Programs (SRP) offer a range of funding to further the revitalization goals of communities across Maryland.

Transit Station Area Profile Tool

The Transit Station Area Profile Tool provides users with station area demographics, employment and housing sales data, transit use and land use and development projects.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Maryland

A Storymap of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in Maryland.

Transportation Alternatives Program Interactive Map

An interactive map of Maryland’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) projects, which is a reimbursable federal aid funding program for transportation-related community projects that strengthen the intermodal transportation system.

Weather It Together

The Maryland Historical Trust offers a Weather It Together program, providing technical assistance to aid local governments in three key areas: hazard mitigation planning, disaster response and recovery, and climate change adaptation.

Why Maryland

For those who crave success built on both hard work and the right environment, Maryland is turning on the lights and opening the door. So take a look around, and discover what Maryland can do for you.

Workforce Dashboard

The Department of Labor’s Workforce Dashboard is an interactive tool designed to visualize data and patterns related to the supply and demand of Maryland's workforce, education and training opportunities in the state.