Baltimore County’s Renaissance initiative is a golden opportunity to turn underused or neglected parcels of land into community assets. This involves only properties within the Urban Rural Demarcation Line (URDL) and only where community residents want such redevelopment to take place. This "collaborative" design process involves full community participation in order to ensure certainty that what is planned is what will be built, thus strengthening all of our communities.

Major Objectives

• To ensure community input from the beginning
• To ensure that the collaborative design process is attractive to developers so that they embrace the community input
• To provide a compressed time model for the pilot projects
• To ensure the process is fair to all participants
• To ensure that the quality of life in Baltimore County is enhanced through the creation of these well-designed, buildable mixed-use redevelopment projects.

Renaissance Opportunity Areas

The following area have been designated as locations where Renaissance Redevelopment Pilot Projects may take place:

• Essex-Middle River (PDF)
• Middle River (PDF)
• Loch Raven Baynesville (PDF)
• Loch Raven Hillendale (PDF) 
• Dundalk Town Center (PDF)
• Dundalk Yorkway (PDF)
• Reisterstown Road East Side (PDF)
• Reisterstown Road West Side (PDF)
• Towson (PDF)

The Development Process
The collaborative design process is summarized in a flow chart (PDF).

History of the Renaissance Initiative
Read about the development of the Renaissance legislation from its early stages to its legal adoption by County Council.

County Executive Message
County Executive James T. Smith, Jr. describes his vision of the Renaissance Program’s aspirations to revitalize neglected areas of Baltimore County.

Planning Board Report (PDF) Adopted
The Final Report of the Baltimore County Planning Board was adopted on April 15, 2004.

Council Bill (PDF) Enacted
County Council introduced legislation on November 4, 2004 to implement the pilot renaissance redevelopment program.

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Revised January 25, 2007