The Purple Line Light Rail: Building Bridges between Campus and Community

Carlo Colella, Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, University of Maryland; Sheila Somashekhar, Director, Purple Line Corridor Coalition; Courtney Brown, Senior Director and Casey Ferraro, Project Manager, University of Maryland

Capacity - 14

The Purple Line is a 16-mile light-rail project that is now under construction. The line will link communities to the east and west of the UMD campus, and its path will cut through the heart of the campus. This new mass transit option will build connections to communities that have been historically disinvested and underserved by transit. Join this workshop to learn how UMD and its partners are working to ensure that community members on and off campus will benefit from Maryland’s largest transit investment in the 21st century.

College Park’s University-Community Vision 2030: Partnerships in Practice

Susan Hartmann, Executive Director, College Park City-University Partnership; Sarah Miller, Vice President of Economic Development at Terrapin Development Company

Capacity - 50

Discover College Park’s evolution to become a top-tier university city through transformative cross-sector partnerships. Trace a 25-year history from the founding of the College Park City-University Partnership and the Terrapin Development Corporation to the adoption of the University-Community Vision 2030, a strategic plan for implementation of shared community goals in housing, economic development, transportation, education, health and safety. Gain insights into lessons learned, explore opportunities in your communities, and learn more about sustaining transformative local partnerships.

Lakeland Digital Archive: Keeper for a Community

Presenters: Maxine Gross, Alan Blatius Wierdak, Willie Sellers, Courtnie Thurston and Robert Thurston, Lakelander; Trevor Munoz, Dr. Quint Gregory, University of Maryland; Kevin Cabrera, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission; Lauren Floyd, student and Janet Ti-Oluwaley, student, University of Maryland

Capacity - 40

Visit the historic Black Community of Lakeland, a place devastated by urban renewal in the 1970s. Experience one tool of its resurgence, the Lakeland Digital Archive. Explore the development, applications and impact of the Archive from the classroom to the exhibition hall and from concert hall to city hall. Your hosts are Lakeland Community Heritage Project, owners and originators of the archive along with allies from the University of Maryland, local government and more.

Explore College Park on Two-Wheels!

Marta Woldu & Maddy Cirineo, UMD Department of Transportation Services; Erik Valentine & Moira Abernathy, City of College Park; Alex Keating & Aaron Madrid, Veo

Capacity - 30

Join the UMD Department of Transportation, the City of College Park, and Veo for a bike/scooter tour of the University and College Park’s beauty and fascinating sites. The tour will start on the UMD Campus and lead participants on neighborhood streets and trails to downtown and historic College Park, allowing participants to view major transit hubs bike/pedestrian facilities, historic and new development sites, public art murals, cultural and natural assets of significance to the Greater College Park community. Reserve a free e-scooter/e-bike rental, courtesy of Veo or bring your own bike/e-scooter! Helmets will be provided and required for the riding. 

It Takes a Village: Cross-sector Approaches to Addressing Housing Needs

Susan Hartmann, Executive Director, College Park City-University Partnership; Scott Veith, Design Collective; Matthew Michetti, Gilbane Construction

Capacity - 40

Housing is a national concern, especially for university communities. This session explores College Park's innovative approaches to addressing diverse housing needs. The tour covers recent developments in student-focused, inclusive and affordable workforce housing, along with programmatic tools to improve access to affordable homeownership opportunities. Partners in education, real estate and nonprofits collaborated to develop localized solutions, including a community land trust and graduate student housing. Participants will discuss opportunities to support strategic cross-sector collaboration in home communities. Tour sponsored by Design Collective.