Placemaking Week 2024

Since the 1980’s Baltimore’s Inner Harbor has witnessed drastic changes, transforming from an industrial waterfront to a renowned destination and worldwide model for waterfront redevelopment. Today, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor continues to evolve and transform as it looks to implement its Inner Harbor 2.0 plan with a focus on a more equitable waterfront that serves all Baltimoreans. In this panel discussion, you will hear from nonprofits, developers, designers and stakeholders with direct ties to the evolution of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and have born witness to 40 years of waterfront evolution and placemaking. Topics will cover past to future visioning and how Baltimoreans have created a sense of place along their waterfront.  The moderator for this discussion is Michael Humes from Mahan Rykiel Associates, an international landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm based in Baltimore. The firm’s touch on Baltimore’s Harbor spans from the redevelopment of Rash Field Park to the development of Harbor East and Harbor Point. Panelists include Laurie Schwartz, President of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore. For 20 years, Laurie has served as Baltimore’s advocate, promoter, and steward for the waterfront, enlivening the harbor through family-oriented amenities, developing engaging programming, hosting exciting events and overseeing the revitalization of the City’s public waterfront lands from Pierces Park to Rash Field—creating equitable open waterfront access for all of Baltimore and its guests. David Bramble, Co-Founder of MCB Capital is leading the charge and pushing the vision and execution for the transformation of Harborplace. Jacqueline Bershad, VP Planning & Design, National Aquarium is overseeing the launching of the Harbor Wetland experience, and includes publicly accessible constructed wetlands and interactive experiences. Amelle Schultz principal at ASG, a multidisciplinary design firm, joins our panel from the team who oversaw planning of Inner Harbor 2.0 and the Harbor Wetland experience.