Working on the idea that access to green space can transform city neighborhoods and improve local economies, the Obama administration is set to announce a series of measures in Baltimore aimed at increasing the number of community parks, outdoor classrooms and gardens in the city.
The initiatives, which White House officials will unveil at a meeting with city leaders today in West Baltimore, include a pilot program intended to help neighborhoods reclaim vacant lots and the installation of a monitor at the Inner Harbor that will provide real-time data about water quality conditions.
Though federal officials stressed the effort is more about developing a vision than funding, the ideas will be backed with about $750,000 in grants. The focus on Baltimore comes at a time when public money for parks has shrunk, and governments are increasingly scouting for new ideas to maintain and expand them.