B’More Green with Janet Felsten

Can the choices you make in daily life – how to get from place to place, where to shop, learn, relax and have fun, what to consume, when to reuse or recycle – make a difference? Absolutely. Join Janet Felsten, founder of Baltimore Green Map, for the workshop “Mapping Community Resources” at this year’s 6th Annual Neighborhood Institute, to learn how to map Baltimore’s ecological and cultural resources and our city’s progress toward becoming a healthy, sustainable urban environment.

Tell us about your background.
My life has always combined these threads – design, environment, education, art and activism – woven together in different ways. I trained as an architect and urban planner, worked in those professions, but always kept involved in education and community building. I’m entrepreneurial and collaborative by nature, so I tend to create my own projects by identifying needs and trying to fill them. I was fortunate that Open Society Institute came to town and offered Community Fellowships. Baltimore Green Map grew out of that opportunity.

What do you love most about living in Baltimore?
I like access to parks and green space, walkability, the creative ferment that enlivens so many neighborhoods, and the sense that so many people are invested in improving the city and collaborating across old boundaries.

Why do you hope that participants will gain from your workshop?
Green Mapping is a wonderful way to emphasize the positive aspects of the city and it’s inclusive of the many things that contribute to a livable community – nature, culture, activism, daily living resources that support a more healthy lifestyle. I want more people to utilize and interact with Green Map tools to share information and build a brighter picture of the city, capturing the many places and efforts that make Baltimore such an interesting place to live.