Commercial districts are the lifeblood of a strong and resilient local economy, generating wealth, jobs, needed goods and services, and civic infrastructure for City residents. As economic development professionals and local stakeholders, we all know what a strong commercial district feels like. It has lots of foot traffic, with well-maintained public and private spaces and buildings, an appropriate mix of retail opportunities, supported by strong local organizations and events. However, public policy decisions are driven by data, not feelings. For a variety of reasons, existing data sources do not paint a clear picture of commercial district health. Many demographic datasets have geographic limitations that do not align with district boundaries. Most retail analyses miss key pieces of data or cannot be validated by field-based observations. A new toolkit is needed to better understand the factors that influence commercial district health and resilience in Baltimore City.
The CDA Initiative aims to assess the health of the City’s commercial districts through a data-driven framework verified through on-the-ground analysis from partners most connected to the district. Ultimately, by better understanding what factors most impact the strength of commercial corridors, BDC and other stakeholders can shape future economic development policies, programs, and funding for a more equitable economy, shaped by local people and places.
Partner organizations selected during the Commercial District Profile Program will work with BDC’s Neighborhood Development and Data Analytics teams to conduct on-the-ground windshield surveys and real estate profiles of their commercial districts, which will be completed on a free mobile app. These surveys will look at critical corridor characteristics, such as commercial property condition, public right-of-way makeup, retail tenancy, and more that will be combined with community data to create a Commercial District Profile.
Click Here for the 2025 Commercial District Assessment Profiles.
Thank you to our dedicated Community Partners for making this initiative possible!
BDC will announce application openings for a 2026 CDA Cohort, stay tuned!
