In a rare if not unique alliance, an anchor institution in Baltimore has joined seven adjacent communities in an effort to find and build on intrinsic strengths.



The University of Maryland, Baltimore already looks to these neighborhoods as home for many of its 15,000 employees.  Partnership businesses will expect to be heavily patronized by the university.  A range of educational initiatives will produce a stream of qualified employees – and reinvigorated southwest Baltimore.  Over the next several months, WYPR's Fraser Smith will follow this working experiment to see if it might serve as a template for neighborhood revival around the city.

This special series on the Southwest Baltimore Partnership is made possible with grant support from Patricia and Mark Joseph.