Press releases

BALTIMORE, MD — The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) today officially launched Design Baltimore: Gateways, an open, international design competition to transform three major highway entryways into iconic civic thresholds. Backed by a $3.3 million total investment, the initiative calls on architects, urban designers, landscape specialists, and artists to integrate public art, traffic calming, and neighborhood storytelling into the city's key rights-of-way.

The competition aims to dismantle the visual and physical barriers historically created by urban highway infrastructure, turning sterile transit corridors into welcoming, community-centric landmarks.

Competition Structure & Timeline

• Phase 1: Up to 12 design concepts will be selected to receive a $15,000 development stipend to further refine their proposals.
• Public Exhibition: Selected concepts will be showcased in a city-wide public exhibition, allowing residents to review and provide feedback.
• Implementation: Finalists will transition to local design-build teams in 2027 for final construction.
• Submission Deadline: Tuesday, August 15, 2026.

BDC is actively collaborating with institutional partners, academic centers, and professional networks — including the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) — to ensure global innovation meets authentic local representation.

For complete eligibility requirements, design guidelines, and submission portals, visit www.baltimoredevelopment.com.

BALTIMORE, MD — In alignment with the city's overarching economic development strategy, Mayor Brandon M. Scott today expanded upon the vision driving the newly launched Design Baltimore: Gateways competition, emphasizing its role in building local wealth and advancing corridor equity.

The $3.3 million initiative represents a critical shift in how Baltimore approaches infrastructure, prioritizing human-scale design, pedestrian safety, and neighborhood identity at the city's major vehicle entry points.

"As our creative economy grows, our entire city benefits," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "This campaign is globally significant because it demonstrates how bold, community-centered design can redefine a city's first impression while creating local wealth and safer streets for our residents. We are not just building monuments; we are repairing the fabric of our neighborhoods."

Key Pillars of the Mayoral Vision

• Corridor Equity: Transforming concrete divides into assets that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of adjacent neighborhoods.
• Traffic Calming & Safety: Utilizing tactical urbanism and structural design to naturally reduce vehicular speeds as drivers transition from highways to city streets.
• Economic Inclusion: Leveraging international attention to create joint-venture opportunities between global design firms and local minority-owned businesses (MBE/WBE).

To read more about the administration's broader urban greening and economic goals, visit the official mayoral portal at www.baltimorecity.gov/mayor.

BALTIMORE, MD — With the August 15 submission deadline approaching, the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) has announced a series of Open Public Site Tours to give competitors, community members, and stakeholders an on-the-ground look at the project locations.

Led by urban planners and community liaisons, these immersive tours will allow participants to analyze site conditions, study traffic patterns, and gain a deeper contextual understanding of the neighborhoods anchoring each threshold.

The Featured Gateway Locations

• Russell Street Corridor: The southern gateway, serving as a primary economic engine connecting commuters to the stadium district and downtown.
• Conway Street Corridor: The critical waterfront-adjacent threshold linking Interstate 95 directly to the Inner Harbor.
• President Street Corridor: The bustling eastern gateway bridging the highway infrastructure of I-83 with the historic and commercial districts of East Baltimore.

Leadership Insights

"We cannot design solutions for Baltimore from a distance — great design requires a visceral understanding of place," said Otis Rolley III, President and Chief Executive Officer of BDC. "These site tours are a call to action for local and international talent to stand on these corridors, listen to the surrounding communities, and propose visionary interventions that are both architecturally audacious and deeply rooted in Baltimore's reality."

Tour Registration Details

Tours will take place throughout mid-July. Representatives from the BDC engineering and planning departments will be on-site to answer technical questions regarding utility rights-of-way, zoning, and structural parameters.

Registration is mandatory for all attendees. To secure a slot and download the comprehensive site data packets, visit www.baltimoredevelopment.com.