A SOCIAL INNOVATION APPROACH TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

The City of Baltimore, Maryland, is a major metropolitan city that has had its well-publicized challenges both
economically and with its highly segregated housing stock. However, after decades of disinvestment, discrimination,
and neglect, one community in West Baltimore is beginning to take control of its neighborhood and forging ahead
with sustainable and community-centric development. The purpose of the study is to analyze the socially innovative
approach of urban development in West Baltimore in contrast to traditional development mechanisms used in the
United States. The research is an empirical case study focusing on the Upton Community of West Baltimore and its
multi-sector approach to development. The research results illustrate how the multi-sector community-led collaboration
has created a sustainable economic activity that centers the community and approaches urban development without
displacing its legacy residents.