A "Play" on Words Honoring Many Contributions to a "Work" in Progress
We often talk about "Retrofitting SubURDLia." It's a play on the title of a book called Retroffiting Suburbia, written by 2 architects in 2009, who noticed, as we have, that the suburbs are, by and large, less than livable places for people. (Their ideas must have resonated with someone because there is now an updated version of the 2009 book).
The words just kind of work for our situation in Baltimore County. For almost 50 years, the URDL has, by and large, curtailed sprawl in a place where little thought was given early on to parks or open space and where traditional zoning, which separates uses, created communities that are hugely unwalkable (witness our map of the URDL and walk scores in the County). 70% of residents lack sufficient access to open space
within a 1/4 mile walk from home. Strip malls and acres of impervious surface abound. Every watershed that touches the URDL is impaired by sediment, nutrients or both. There is much that can be improved in the land that lies south of the URDL, which we have dubbed "SubURDLia."
Given the scope of the task, it's only fitting that we stop from time to time and to recognize the people who are helping us make a dent in the challenge through contributions of their time, talent and treasure. That's what we intend to do at Ridgely Manor Park on June 21st from 6 to 8 PM. For those who may not know about the Ridgely Manor, it's a new two acre park just south of the intersection of Loch Raven Blvd and Joppa Rd. in Towson. We've prepared a short, 7-minute video to give you a sense of its history. This event is completely free - we aren't going to ask you for money - we just want to pause to recognize those who've helped us and share some of the fruits of those labors. The park's landscape architect, Tom McGilloway, will be on hand to say a few words and there will be plenty of refreshments. More details and a sign-up link are available here.
Live Music and Ribbon Cutting at Graystone 7/28/26 | Will Kaselow, Community Conservation Manager
7/28/26 | Will Kaselow, Community Conservation Manager Thank you to everyone who came out to NeighborSpace’s final concert of the summer! After the original date was cancelled due to wildfire-related air pollution, we were able to quickly reschedule and ended up lucking into one of the most beautiful nights of the summer so far. We […]
7/29/2026 | Phyllis Joris, Executive Director Like many nonprofits, NeighborSpace operates on a fiscal year that runs July through June. This month, NeighborSpace staff and board members took stock of progress made in the past year and drafted a work plan for the coming year. More details will be provided in NeighborSpace’s Annual Report, which […]
Thanks to donations from generous supporters like you, NeighborSpace was able to hire three interns this summer. We want to help young conservationists gain fieldwork and behind-the-scenes experience, and staff is grateful for the extra hands and minds! We introduced you to our stewardship interns last month.Now read on to meet our communications intern, Mykiah. […]
Barbara Waters While I grew up in Massachusetts and then spent 6 years in Northern Maine, I have now lived in Maryland for nearly 32 years. I had been involved in many things in the community, but that involvement really ramped up once the pandemic started. To combat isolation, I started walking daily, and have […]
Thanks to donations from generous supporters like you, NeighborSpace was able to hire three interns this summer. We want to help young conservationists gain fieldwork and behind-the-scenes experience, and staff is grateful for the extra hands and minds! Read on to meet our two stewardship interns, Ashley and Katie. Hi! I am Ashley Metzbower. I […]
6/29/26 | Will Kaselow, Community Conservation Manager This month we welcomed the summer with song, hosting live music events at two of our sites! First, Patrick Alban and his Buena Vista Social Club joined us at Ridgely Manor Park in Towson on one of the hottest nights of the year so far. Despite the heat, […]
6/29/26 | Conor Harrington, Land Steward This spring, NeighborSpace installed its first microforest/Miyawaki plantings at Tollgate Wyndham Preserve in Owings Mills. With the help of some very dedicated volunteer groups from BGE and Stanley Black & Decker, we planted about 150 trees and shrubs in three contained locations of the preserve. The area covered by […]
6/29/2026 | Phyllis Joris, Executive Director NeighborSpace recently added a new site to its portfolio! With the addition of Stonegate, a beautiful 16-acre property in Catonsville, NeighborSpace now protects 116 acres across 22 sites for current and future residents of urban Baltimore County. This property is co-held with Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), the state’s land […]
This month we would like to thank Christie Bianco for her time and dedication as a NeighborSpace volunteer! Christie has lived in the Dunmore community for 21 years and first connected with Levickas Woods through her children, who would play in the woods and catch crayfish in the stream. She considers the woods to be […]
