The Baltimore City Department of Planning initiated a 14-month process to develop a comprehensive plan for Baltimore for the next ten years. Baltimore's kids will play a role in helping to shape that future.

"It is our firm belief," says City Planning Director, Charles C. Graves III, "that youth are the key to the future of Baltimore. Therefore, it is our goal to involve children in all aspects of the process and to include their input in planning the future of the City."

To accomplish this task, Mr. Graves, who is also Chair of APA's City Planning and Management Division, initiated efforts to get youth involved from the outset. He also approached foundations to enlist their support and has recieved numerous grants from different organizations specifically for related youth activities.

The strategy is to include youth of all ages from every neighborhood to get a good cross-section of the Baltimore community.Three hands-on programs have been developed to involve all age groups.

The first is a City Planning workshop designed to help children understand the elements of a city and how these parts interrelate. The workshop begins with a brief discussion of the major components of a city, such as housing, schools, etc.

Next comes a discussion of how cities are organized and laid out such as in a grid street pattern along a river or around a park. This section includes some drawing of ideas and concepts.

The third part is the actual planning and building of a city by the children. The planner along with the teacher has the children draw a map of their ideal city.When the map is completed, each child chooses a building and creates that building out of boxes. By placing these completed buildings on the map, a three-dimensional model of the ideal city emerges.

The workshop is designed for children ages 6-11, and may take one 1 1/2 to 2-hour session or two one-hour sessions.

The second program is a workshop targeted to Middle and High School students on what are their "Hopes and Dreams for Baltimore." Through a guided discussion process, the planner solicits ideas from youth and helps them to think creatively and holistically about these viewpoints and on other cities. The workshop requires about 1 1/2 hours.

Finally, the third program is a workbook, designed for ages 9-13, to inform them about the Comprehensive Plan.By completing the workbook, the kids will learn about the planning process and have an opportunity to provide input to the plan.This activity can occur independently or with a planner visiting the class for a 1/2 hour conversation to introduce the workbook and discuss what planning is.