UMBC Geography and Environmental Systems Department

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/39

A hallmark of the Department of Geography & Environmental Systems is its broadly integrative nature, drawing on the expertise of faculty with diverse backgrounds but with a common mission. Research interests among current regular departmental faculty span a broad range of topics in earth systems science, ecosystem science, human geography and urban geography, and human dimensions of global change, with application of geospatial technology to research questions across all areas of interest. Despite the diversity of research and teaching interests, there is a common focus on the importance of coupled natural and human systems and on landscape pattern in relation to human activities and their environmental consequences, and we see this as a broad programmatic thrust for our graduate degree offerings. Research based in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems involves interdisciplinary collaborative work of local, regional and international scope.

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From FOSS to profit: Digital spatial technologies and the mode of production
(Elsevier, 2024-12-01) Mahmoudi, Dillon; Thatcher, Jim; Imaoka, Laura Beltz; O'Sullivan, David
Existing literature has scrutinized the impact of geospatial technologies from various angles. This article adopts a heterodox vantage point—the mode of production—to illuminate the intricate power dynamics woven into the fabric of these technologies. By focusing on the mode of production, we meticulously demonstrate how ostensibly novel digital technologies and geospatial data formats wield power within social relations of production. Responding to calls to scrutinize the political economy of spatial technologies and map-making tools, we aim to unravel the underpinning social relations, software development techniques, and technologies that shape file formats like GeoJSON and Esri Shapefile. By tracing the historical evolution of these formats, the article reveals how digital labor, both voluntary and expropriated, shapes the landscapes of profit-driven technology firms. The rise of open standards is not a departure from for-profit motives but rather a manifestation of the confluence of free, open, and for-profit. Ultimately, we argue that the intricate connections between digital technologies, geography, and capitalist structures enroll seemingly independent FOSS products into broader systems of capital accumulation. These findings highlight the far-reaching impact of geospatial technologies and their role in perpetuating and reshaping capitalist dynamics.
Sweet spots for nitrogen restoration in a coastal watershed
(2024-10-16) Groffman, Peter; Reisinger, Alexander; Zhang, Ruoyu; Locke, Dexter; Rosenberg, Andrew; Newburn, David; Duncan, Jonathan; Band, Lawrence; Grove, J.; Miller, Andrew; Rosi, Emma; Towe, Charles
Reducing nitrogen delivery to coastal waters is a “wicked problem” involving tradeoffs in environmental, economic and equity domains. Because these tradeoffs arise from spatial and temporal complexities in sources and sinks of this element, we hypothesized that a transdisciplinary focus on disproportionality could allow for the identification of “hot” or “sweet” spots where multiple factors converge to create opportunities to control nitrogen flux. We applied this approach to the Baltimore, MD USA region by mapping stream reaches with high nitrogen concentrations, hydrologic conditions amenable to stream restoration, high willingness to pay for restoration projects, and high social need for restoration, and subsequently identifying locations where these factors converge to create sweet spots. Our analysis suggests that sweet spots that optimize environmental, economic, and equity components of sustainability may be rare. The desire to bundle multiple benefits in the budgeting for environmental interventions such as stream restoration may create a sub-optimal distribution of these interventions in a sustainability context.
Editorial: To plant, rewild, or ignore? Linking forest restoration methods to long-term ecological trajectories and ecosystem services
(Frontiers, 2024-10-23) Wilson, Sarah J.; Waring, Bonnie G.; Fagan, Matthew E.; Root-Bernstein, Meredith; Werden, Leland K.
Planning to Build Faster: A Solar Energy Case Study
(Roosevelt Institute, 2024-10-01) Bozuwa, Johanna; Mulvaney, Dustin; Estevez, Isabel; DiSilvestro, Adriana; Karlsson, Kristina; Kristina, Sunny
In a new Roosevelt Institute analysis in collaboration with the Climate and Community Institute, authors Johanna Bozuwa, Dustin Mulvaney, Isabel Estevez, Adriana DiSilvestro, Kristina Karlsson, and Sunny Malhotra argue that effective solar deployment requires a nationwide planning and coordination effort, and outline four key roles the federal government can play in advancing solar.
GESTAR II Center Awarded $47 Million Extension On Cooperative Agree With NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
(UMBC News, 2024-09-26) Fraser, Adriana; Demond, Marlayna
The UMBC-led Goddard Earth Science Technology and Research (GESTAR II) center has been awarded a two-year, $47 million extension to continue its cooperative agreement with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Developing Small Satellite Ground Support Software for Orbit Tracking and Target Acquisition of the HARP Cubesat
(Frontiers, 2024-10-10) Sienkiewicz, Noah; Martins, J. Vanderlei; Xu, Xiaoguang; McBride, Brent; Remer, Lorraine
Small satellites are efficient at performing Earth science from space due to their limited cost and size. Small satellites (cubesats) achieve much with limited power production/storage, heat dissipation, data storage, and ground contact points/bandwidth. As such it is beneficial to offload as much as possible to ground support systems. Consider the HyperAngular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP) Cubesat. Its goals were to serve as a technical demonstration prior to the development of HARP2 aboard the NASA Plankton Aerosol Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission and to serve as an Earth viewing remote sensing platform which measured the characteristics of clouds and aerosols. HARP cubesat was limited to taking 5-minute capture sequences once every 24 h. It took approximately 10 such captures before it needed to perform data downlink and have its memory cleared for continued use. A ground station at NASA Wallops supported HARP with approximately three points of contact each day. To maximize the value of each capture, ground support software was developed leveraging public data to inform the schedule of each capture. In this paper, we review the algorithms and data sources that allowed us to: 1; predict the HARP orbital track a week in advance, 2; predict also the location of other remote sensing satellites and ground stations relative to HARP, 3; predict the ground view geometry of the instrument along its orbital track, 4; compare global climatological data products of clouds and aerosols along the predicted orbital tracks, and 5; identify and integrate important ground target locations based on remote sensing literature and ongoing natural phenomena. This HARP Orbital Prediction System (HOPS) made HARP into a successful technical demonstration which also offered significant science value. The HOPS system presents a valuable methodology for small satellites to operate efficiently despite their limited capabilities. HOPS is also a useful testbed for studying the sensitivity of scene geometry. Using HOPS, we show that for a wide field-of-view (FOV) instrument, like HARP, latitude/longitude geolocation varies by approximately 0.1° at a height of 8–10 km. Scattering angles vary less than 0.01° at similar heights, with the worst performance near direct backscatter (180°).
Large-Scale Climate Features Control Fire Emissions and Transport in Africa
(Wiley, 2024-09-15) Dezfuli, Amin; Ichoku, Charles; Bosilovich, Michael G.
Recent increase in extreme wildfire events has led to major health and environmental consequences across the globe. These adverse impacts underlined the need for better understanding of this phenomenon and to formulate mitigating actions. While previous research has focused on local weather drivers of wildfires, our knowledge about their large-scale climatic controls remains limited, especially in tropical Africa, which stands out as a global hotspot for fire emissions. Here, we show that interannual variability of carbon emission due to fires in the southern Congo Basin is strongly linked to low-level winds that are controlled by the Indian Ocean subtropical high. The interhemispheric transport of these emissions to West Africa relies on the intensity and position of both Indian and South Atlantic subtropical highs. Combined effects of this transport mechanism and carbon production in the source region explain a majority of the interannual variability of black carbon in West Africa.
Building Equitable Research Partnerships: Learning From a Community Climate Resilience Grant Program
(Wiley, 2024-08-20) Cann, K.; Leichenko, R.; Herb, J.; Kaplan, M.; Howell, Nyla
Calls for the co-production of climate knowledge and services are increasingly prominent in research and funding proposals, including within federally funded programs. While co-production has led to more accessible and relevant climate services for frontline communities, scholars have identified numerous barriers to equitable relationships and outcomes within co-production partnerships. In an effort to support the development of climate services through equitable research partnerships, the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast, a NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnership team, collaboratively designed and launched the Community Climate Resilience (CCR) Grant competition in 2022. The CCR program serves to provide funding and build capacity among community-based organizations (CBOs) responding to climate variability in historically disinvested communities in the urban Northeast, as well as foster co-production partnerships between the organizations and local university-based researchers. This paper assesses the design and implementation of the program based on data collected through a survey of research partners, discussions with key stakeholders, and observation of relevant project meetings. Despite the incorporation of lessons from similar co-production projects, program designers found several persistent impediments to equitable partnerships, including time constraints, funding limitations, and burdensome institutional requirements. We reflect on these challenges and offer strategies for overcoming barriers to equitable partnerships, including streamlining funding pass-through structures, increasing transparency in funding competitions, promoting flexible funding options, and fostering communities of practice among CBOs and university partners. The findings are relevant for researchers and practitioners implementing equity-focused co-production partnerships and small grant programs in climate services and related fields.
UERC 2022 Symposium Day 1 Recording
(Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium of Portland/Vancouver, 2022-03-07) Kleiner, Jane; Krueger, Matt; Miller, Adela; Fogel, Nina; Skalicky, Joe; Storm, Hunter; Liptan, Tom; Ferguson, Joe; Yeakley, J. Alan
Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium (UERC) Portland, OR - Vancouver, WA Metropolitan Region, 2022 Symposium Day 1 recording. Containing keynote and presentations given on March 7th 2022.
Shaping Baltimore’s urban forests: past insights for present-day ecology
(Springer Nature, 2024-07-29) Sonti, Nancy F.; Baker, Matthew; Lagrosa, John; Allman, Michael; Grove, J. Morgan; Katoski, Michelle
Context Land use history of urban forests impacts present-day soil structure, vegetation, and ecosystem function, yet is rarely documented in a way accessible to planners and land managers. Objectives To (1) summarize historical land cover of present-day forest patches in Baltimore, MD, USA across land ownership categories and (2) determine whether social-ecological characteristics vary by historical land cover trajectory.MethodsUsing land cover classification derived from 1927 and 1953 aerial imagery, we summarized present-day forest cover by three land cover sequence classes: (1) Persistent forest that has remained forested since 1927, (2) Successional forest previously cleared for non-forest vegetation (including agriculture) that has since reforested, or (3) Converted forest that has regrown on previously developed areas. We then assessed present-day ownership and average canopy height of forest patches by land cover sequence class.ResultsMore than half of Baltimore City’s forest has persisted since at least 1927, 72% since 1953. About 30% has succeeded from non-forest vegetation during the past century, while 15% has reverted from previous development. A large proportion of forest converted from previous development is currently privately owned, whereas persistent and successional forest are more likely municipally-owned. Successional forest occurred on larger average parcels with the fewest number of distinct property owners per patch. Average tree canopy height was significantly greater in patches of persistent forest (mean = 18.1 m) compared to canopy height in successional and converted forest patches (16.6 m and 16.9 m, respectively).Conclusions Historical context is often absent from urban landscape ecology but provides information that can inform management approaches and conservation priorities with limited resources for sustaining urban natural resources. Using historical landscape analysis, urban forest patches could be further prioritized for protection by their age class and associated ecosystem characteristics.
Improving Institutional Partnerships for Science & Stewardship: A Case Study Between the Smithsonian & Black Churches in Baltimore, Maryland
(2024-01-01) Wernoch, Rylee Catherine; Biehler, Dawn; Geography and Environmental Systems; Geography and Environmental Systems
Increasingly diverse teams are crucial for tackling complex environmental challenges, particularly in cities and among historically marginalized communities. This study examines interdisciplinary collaboration in Baltimore, Maryland, involving scientists, faith-based groups, and local nonprofits. Together, they seek to address common questions about environmental restoration success and support local environmental education. Drawing on literature in environmental justice, liberation theology, and participatory approaches, this thesis highlights unique intersections. It explores emerging partnerships between scientists and faith leaders and examines the role of language in relationship-building through interviews. Reflexive analysis engages with two and a half years of implementation efforts between the Smithsonian and local organizations. The author advocates for radical listening, particularly among scientists, to foster diverse partnerships. Additionally, the author proposes reimagining academic structures to facilitate equitable community engagement.
A State That Leaves No One Behind? Erasure of Native Peoples in Maryland & How This Limits Inclusive Environmental & Climate Action
(2024-01-01) Powell, Autumn; Holland, Margaret; Geography and Environmental Systems; Geography and Environmental Systems
“A State That Leaves No One Behind,” was a bold statement from current Governor Wes Moore when he was campaigning for the governor position. However, his statement did not hold true considering Maryland Tribal communities that are still being left behind. Why? It could be because of their Tribal status. The state of Maryland has no federally recognized Tribes. Out of six Tribes that are ancestral to this region, only three are state-recognized I had to ask, who are the Tribal Peoples of Maryland? As a graduate student originally from Arizona, I did not know that Tribes that are ancestral to the Chesapeake Bay region were still here and other Tribes have migrated to this region that call it home. I later learned that the main reason why erasure started in the first place. I and others assumed that Tribal Peoples continue to thrive in the Chesapeake Bay region is because of historical documentations from the colonial governments that were purposely biased and did not document the whole truth of the presence of numerous Tribal Nations still residing in colonial state borders of what is now called Maryland. It didn’t help that the academia supported their documentations because they have the highest credentials and were historical figures that made progression of this country, the United States. You might think that Indigenous erasure is a thing of the past and it not currently happening. Wrong. It’s still weaving through our societies and systems. For instance, if you Google “Native American” or “Indigenous Peoples” or “Tribal Peoples” in the search engine you will notice that there is a lot of historical information and pictures available but little to no pictures of current Tribal Peoples. Another example are the history books used by our education systems that are told from a Eurocentric perspective and the terminologies they use for Tribal Peoples is past-tense. No present or future tense terminologies or information are included, except in occasional institutional “Land Acknowledgement” statements. In this thesis, I focus on the work of environmental organizations and those focused on environmental and climate action. In a region where environmental and climate action claims to prioritize inclusion and consider diverse voices, I’ve noticed that groups in Maryland do not involve or engage with Tribal Peoples in the state.
Planting Money. Exploring the Implications of Federal & State Environmental Justice Policy in Relation to Funding for Green Space Projects in Baltimore Neighborhoods.
(2024-01-01) Finch, Meredith G.S.; Holland, Margaret B.; Geography and Environmental Systems; Geography and Environmental Systems
Cities promote investing in green spaces as a step toward justice in neighborhoods that have lacked places like parks, gardens, and other vegetated spaces that can be a benefit to people who live nearby. Creating more vegetated spaces in cities has also been promoted as an action to reduce the impact of climate change and extreme weather events on city residents now and into the future. However, residents may see these projects as addressing surface-level eyesores and not investments in addressing deeper challenges in their neighborhood. This is because what may appear to an outsider as an eyesore can be connected to long-term, systemic disinvestment in neighborhoods based on racist policies. In Baltimore, where many neighborhoods are identified by recent environmental justice policy to be eligible for funding from a wide variety of federal programs related to climate change issues, I investigate how these policies can be accessed by resident groups to advocate for community-led development interests alongside green space investment in their neighborhoods. This research is guided by three themes: green space, funding, and environmental justice. Methods included participant observation fieldwork and informal interviews alongside document and screening tool analysis. Research outcomes include recommendations to align investments to both increase green space while also addressing other neighborhood challenges as one way to change perceptions of urban greening initiatives from surface-level investment to environmental justice action.
GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE TROPICAL VALLEY BOTTOM LANDFORM SYSTEM IN THE WEST AFRICAN SAVANNA LANDSCAPE
(2024-01-01) Chirico, Peter George; Miller, Andrew J; Geography and Environmental Systems; Geography and Environmental Systems
Tropical headwater valley bottoms are shallow, flat-bottomed, valleys at the uppermost part of the watershed in which no stream channel is present. Predominant in Africa's low-relief landscapes and other tropical regions, they are important settings for agriculture, grazing, and, less frequently, small-scale mineral deposits. However, debates over their origins and nomenclature hinder a comprehensive understanding of the role these valley bottoms play in landform evolution of the African surface, mineral deposit formation, and a range of ecological functions. Two primary genetic origin theories are identified: the in-situ weathering/deflation hypothesis and the colluvial/fluvial hypothesis. This dissertation investigates the two genetic origin theories of these features at both the continental and watershed scales integrating geomorphological, digital terrain modeling, and sedimentological methods.To address semantic and ontological classification disparities, a continental-scale analysis of watershed basins containing variously named headwater valley bottom landforms is conducted. The study develops and analyzes a database of 22 type localities and explores geology, climate, paleoclimate, and regolith controls to clarify definitions and classifications. Results indicate distinct differences in watershed basins categorized by climate, precipitation, morphology, bedrock age and lithology, and pedological inheritance but not necessarily correlating to regionally different nomenclature. The research further suggests that major paleoclimate transitions influenced the long-term evolution of these landforms across Africa. Transitioning from the continental-scale, the research advocates for watershed-scale studies using quantitative criteria and high spatial resolution geospatial data. Targeted on valley bottoms in the Kohoué River watershed in northwest Côte d'Ivoire, the study addresses the lack of suitable digital elevation model (DEM) data by developing a high-resolution, vertically accurate DEM through photogrammetric workflows and DEM filtering techniques. Next, this high-resolution DEM is used in combination with field mapping and sedimentological analysis to produce a series of geomorphic cross sections, which support the hypothesis that valley bottom forms transition from unchanneled collapse/deflation features in headwater settings into valley flats with discontinuous channels and become channeled colluvial/fluvial floodplain types downstream. Rather than opposition between the two primary origin theories, this work demonstrates the coexistence of both processes at work in a watershed, varying longitudinally, based on quantifiable geomorphic controls.
Negotiating Mastitis: Animal health assemblages, new ways of seeing disease and hidden frictions to changing antimicrobial use practices
(2024-01-01) Barrett, Jaime; Lansing, David; Geography and Environmental Systems; Geography and Environmental Systems
My dissertation focuses on antimicrobial use in the dairy industry and farmer responses to the changing political climate centered around the threat of antimicrobial resistance. In this dissertation. I examine animal health assemblages with a particular focus on mastitis assemblages. My investigation of mastitis assemblages offers insight into both the epistemologies around animal health management and the hidden frictions to changing antimicrobial use practice. In this dissertation, I seek to answer the following questions. How do antimicrobial use-related policies affect mastitis management? What information sources do dairy producers use to make mastitis management decisions? And to what extent do producers consider bacteria agency when developing and implementing mastitis management strategies? To do this, I draw insight from work in policy mobilities, more-than-human geographies, science and technology studies, critical data studies and agri-food studies. The methods I used for this research included interviews, direct and participant observation and document analysis. Dairy cows get mastitis when interactions with the farm environment inevitably expose them to pathogenic bacteria that their immune system cannot manage. There is acceptance among producers that mastitis-causing bacteria will continue to exist within farm spaces despite their best efforts. Dairy farmers have learned the best way to reduce the incidence of mastitis is to better manage human-cow-bacteria relations. Producers must negotiate the flows of life on their farm and the resources they have available. Mastitis assemblages evolve with the changing political-economic circumstances, new knowledge introductions and farm characteristics I discuss throughout this dissertation. In the first empirical chapter, I examine dairy producer concerns about future antimicrobial regulations and how these concerns could serve as a form of friction to the movement of stricter antimicrobial use policy. In the second empirical chapter, I examine how new ways of understanding bacteria have changed human-bacteria relations and by extension how producers manage and treat mastitis. In the final empirical chapter, I assess the impact of data technology adoption on dairy farm practices and how associated difficulties produce hybrid epistemologies around animal health management.
The Anthropocene Is More Than a Time Interval
(AGU, 2024-07-18) Edgeworth, Matthew; Bauer, Andrew M.; Ellis, Erle C.; Finney, Stanley C.; Gill, Jacqueline L.; Gibbard, Philip L.; Maslin, Mark; Merritts, Dorothy J.; Walker, Michael J. C.
Following the recent rejection of a formal Anthropocene series/epoch by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), and its subsequent confirmation by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the opportunity arises to reset the definition of the Anthropocene. The case for informally recognizing the Anthropocene to be a major planetary event of Earth system transformation offers a promising way forward, but this has been criticized by proponents of an Anthropocene series/epoch. In order to move on from the assumption that it must be a time interval, and to foster a more transdisciplinary and inclusive approach, the main points of the critique must be directly addressed.
Street tree diversity reveals a legacy of redlining
(USDA, 2024) Sonti, Nancy F.; Locke, Dexter H.; Avolio, Meghan L.; Burghardt, Karin T.; Chalfant, Fred; Grove, J. Morgan; Seo, Sam; Swan, Christopher; Rodbell, Phil
In a recent article published in the journal Ecology, our research team reported that neighborhoods in Baltimore that were redlined have consistently lower street tree diversity and are nine times less likely to have large (old) trees occupying a viable planting site. What does this mean for those who live in these neighborhoods, and what steps might cities like Baltimore take to mitigate this structural challenge in their urban forests? For biodiversity experts, street trees provide a unique study population because trees can live for many decades, and patterns of street tree size, distribution, and diversity reflect both present-day and historical public policy and management decisions
Effectiveness of stormwater control measures in protecting stream channel stability
(Wiley, 2024-06-15) Khan, Sami Towsif; Wynn-Thompson, Theresa; Sample, David; Al-Smadi, Mohammad; Behrouz, Mina Shahed; Miller, Andrew J.
While research on the hydrologic impact of different types of stormwater control measures (SCMs) is extensive, little research exists linking urbanization, widespread implementation of SCMs and channel stability in headwater streams. This study evaluated whether the unified stormwater sizing criteria (USSC) regulations in the state of Maryland, USA, which require the use of both end-of-pipe and distributed, small-scale SCMs, protect channel stability. To achieve this goal, a coupled hierarchical modelling approach utilizing the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and the Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System 6.3 (HEC-RAS) was developed to predict changes in streamflow and sediment transport dynamics in a first-order gravel-bed, riffle-pool channel. Storm event discretization revealed that 88% of observed storm events during the 16 years (2004–2020) had durations less than 18 h and that the greatest peak flows resulted from storm events with durations less than 24 h. HEC-RAS simulation results also showed that both channel degradation and aggradation, as high as 1.2 m, will likely occur due to regulations which require the use of 24 h duration design storms with a target stormwater detention time rather than bed material sediment transport limits. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the complex interactions between SCM practises, flow regimes and sediment transport dynamics in heavily urbanized watersheds. It is recommended that SCMs be designed using a continuous simulation model with at least 10 years of continuous rainfall data. Furthermore, to protect channel stability, the SCM design goal should focus on maintaining pre-development sediment transport regimes across a range of flows.
Developing a Hail and Wind Damage Swath Event Database from Daily MODIS True Color Imagery and Storm Reports for Impact Analysis and Applications
(AMS, 2023-08-16) Bell, Jordan R.; Wisinski, Emily F.; Molthan, Andrew L.; Schultz, Christopher J.; Gilligan, Emma; Sharp, Kaylee G.
Hail and damaging winds are two threats associated with intense and severe thunderstorms that traverse the Midwest and Great Plains during the primary growing season. In certain severe thunderstorm events, large swaths of agricultural crops are impacted, allowing the damage to be viewed from multiple satellite remote sensing platforms. Previous studies have focused on analyzing individual hail and wind damage swaths (HWDSs) using satellite remote sensing, but these swaths have never been officially archived or documented. This lack of documentation has made it difficult to analyze the spatial extent and temporal frequency of HWDSs from year to year. This study utilizes daily true color imagery from MODIS aboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites and daily local storm reports from the Storm Prediction Center to build a database of HWDSs occurring in the months of May–August, for years 2000–20. This database identified 1646 HWDSs in 12 states throughout the Midwest and Great Plains, confirmed through a combination of archived severe weather warnings, radar information, and official storm reports. For each entry in the HWDS database, a geospatial outline is provided along with the most likely date of first visible damage from MODIS imagery as well as the physical characteristics and time of occurrence estimated from available warnings. This study also provides a summary of the radar characteristics for a portion of the database. This database will further the understanding of severe weather damage by hail and wind to agriculture to help understand the frequency of these events and assist in mapping the impacted areas. Significance Statement Hail and wind damage swaths (HWDSs) frequently occur during the primary growing season throughout the Midwest and Great Plains but are not yet officially documented or tracked like other severe weather impacts (e.g., tornadoes and derechos). This study describes the creation of a 21-yr HWDS event database using archived daily storm reports and daily true color satellite imagery. Once the database was completed and underwent quality checks, the research team identified spatial and temporal trends from the confirmed swaths.
The Ground Rent Machine: The Story of Race, Housing Inequality, and Dispossession in Baltimore, Maryland
(Taylor & Francis, 2024-06-18) Jurjevich, Jason R.; Mahmoudi, Dillon
In Baltimore, Maryland, more than 55,000 homes—roughly 30 percent of all residential plots—are subject to ground rent, a legacy of British feudal property law. Under this landlord–tenant system, the homeowner makes payments to the ground leaseholder, who maintains rights to the land. During the early 2000s, many Baltimoreans fell behind on their ground rent due to recessionary headwinds and were “ejected” from their homes as leaseholders took ownership (as collateral). Maryland lawmakers responded by passing housing protections in 2007, but several laws were overturned by the courts (Corma 2017). Using census and ground rent administrative data, we map the geography of ground rent in Baltimore. Our results reveal that originally a tool of class dispossession, ground rent became racialized in the 1950s and 1960s and today overwhelmingly affects Black communities and low-income households. Drawing on work by critical Marxist geographers, work on the production of decline, anti-Blackness, and property relations theory, we rely on a critical quantitative framework to illustrate how people, place, power structures, and relationality produce the pernicious and predatory “ground rent machine.” Telling the story of ground rent—a largely underexplored topic—illustrates how local racialized property regimes shape the geography of urban segregation and urban inequality.

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