This Models and Guidelines document is intended for all parties involved in the public school facility planning and siting process as well as local land use officials.
This includes school facility planners, local planning and zoning departments, transportation and public works planners and engineers, local residents, school boards and superintendents, and elected officials. Quality community planning and well-placed school siting decisions involve an integrated and cooperative process by all parties, not the least of which are the residents of communities that the schools serve.
This document addresses key issues involved in public school construction, community planning and Smart Growth in Maryland. A decade after implementation of the Smart Growth and Neighborhood Conservation Act in Maryland, it is useful to examine how Smart Growth-oriented community planning principles are integrated in the State and local school construction processes. Likewise, it is important to lay out a template for integrating school planning, funding and school design with community planning, public health, walkability, energy efficiency, co-location, and transportation choices and costs.
