Webinar Recording: Heritage Areas Featured on Maryland Smart Growth Webinar Series
Recorded on May 20, 2026, this webinar hosted by the Maryland Department of Planning, provides an overview of the heritage area concept and how it intersects with local and regional planning, with a spotlight on the Maryland Heritage Areas Program and local case studies in central Maryland and the Eastern Shore. Sustainable Growth Principle: Place.
Heritage areas are places where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, significant landscapes, offering meaningful experiences for tourists and improved quality of life for residents. Heritage areas can be designated by the National Park Service or through state programs and receive benefits, including financial investment, to further historic, cultural, and natural resource protection and enhancement.
Speakers on the webinar include Ariane Hofstedt, Program Director, Maryland Heritage Areas Program; Daphne Daly (AICP), Deputy Director, Carroll County Department of Planning and Land Management; Gail Owings, Executive Director, Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, and Carla Gerber, Director, Kent County Planning, Housing, and Zoning.
Speakers on the webinar include Ariane Hofstedt, Program Director, Maryland Heritage Areas Program; Daphne Daly (AICP), Deputy Director, Carroll County Department of Planning and Land Management; Gail Owings, Executive Director, Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, and Carla Gerber, Director, Kent County Planning, Housing, and Zoning.