Middle Branch Waterfront Revitilization

An inclusive approach to open space and community-level resilience stitches together communities while enhancing the economy and ecology of a long-overlooked urban waterfront.

The 11-mile Middle Branch of the Patapsco River is located less than two miles from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, one of the nation’s first successful urban waterfront revitalizations, yet its long history of heavy industry, aging infrastructure, and fragmented neighborhoods has severed it from the heart of the city. In an effort to bring greater resiliency, vibrancy, and connectivity to the communities and waterfront of the Middle Branch, the City of Baltimore is launching a large scale revitalization effort.

After conducting a design competition on behalf of the City and the South Baltimore Gateway Project, the Parks and People Foundation selected a team led by West 8, whose concept embraces economy, ecology, and community by twinning, through the use of dredged material that would otherwise be transported away, the region’s economic engine with ecological restoration and the creation of open, inclusive spaces for commerce, economic development, and simple leisure. As a key member of the West 8 team, Biohabitats is primarily responsible for assessing and inventorying baseline ecological conditions, identifying data gaps and developing a long-term monitoring program. The ecological inventory, assessment and mapping includes terrestrial and inter-tidal areas over the 550-acre study area.

The transformative plan integrates better access and connectivity across the neighborhoods with healthier natural environs, supporting increased biodiversity, restoring vital marsh and woodland habitat zones, and prioritizing community-level climate change resilience. The designs also weave the unique urban character of Baltimore with a mosaic of natural systems the reflect the Chesapeake Bay estuarine systems, providing educational and recreational resources. The plan also aims to unite nearby neighborhoods by providing accessible spaces to experience food, music, and education, as well as amenities along a connected system of parks and trails and. Specific amenities include a central lawn, a boat-building education center, and a kayaking creek.