Courtesy Live Baltimore.

Old Goucher Neighborhood: Strengthening a Community Identity through Exploration of the Past

Overview

In the fall of 2013, students from the University of Maryland’s Historic Preservation program undertook a study of Baltimore’s Old Goucher neighborhood aimed to demonstrate how preservation can inform a city planning process and help shape community organization practices. Using a multi-layered approach that combined site analysis, historical research, GIS mapping and stakeholder interviews, the students produced a series of maps that trace changes in Old Goucher’s physical/social framework over the course of six decades. This allowed them to identify and track key characteristics of the neighborhood’s character: a rich mix of residential, commercial and institutional uses; a network of green spaces, centered on the old Goucher College campus; high quality and adaptable building stock; diversity of housing types and tenures; and economic and social diversity. The final report proposed recommendations for the neighborhood’s future that build on these historic features.

Location

Old Goucher, Baltimore, MD

Project Team

The graduate students who developed the project, all second year Master of Historic Preservation candidates, are: Meredith Gorres, Daniel Hayes, Anne Ketz, Amanda Moore, Caitlin Sylvester and Alexander Toprac. The studio was led by Professor Michele Lamprakos.

Partners


Download the report: