The Plant

In Baltimore, a collaborative effort between concerned citizens has yielded productive efforts towards developing a more healthy, sustainable city. According to the Baltimore Bioneers website, the group is "a brilliant assembly of global and local environmentalists, healers, and business and community leaders gathered once in Baltimore to discuss practical environmental, social, and economic solutions for our planet…and for our city."

"The Plant" is one of the concepts developed by the Baltimore Bioneers. The objective is to utilize the 'broken teeth' of row housing to accommodate facilities that will help build the community and reduce the dependence on centralized, fossil fuel derived energy sources. The Plant is intended to drive revitalization of housing communities in urban environments.

According to the Baltimore Bioneers:

It is time to return the city to a place of production, a place where each neighborhood has the essential resources to survive and to thrive. It’s time for Baltimore’s new power Plant.


Imagine a series of easy-to-assemble prefab structures designed to plug the broken teeth of a rowhouse block and to activate vacant land with productive programs. Imagine a structure that radiates surplus to its neighbors through shared infrastructure such as solar technology and WiFi.


Imagine also, a structure that collects energy: Just as the solar cells harness the diffuse energy of the sun, the new power Plant will collect the energy of those dedicated neighbors looking to radiate hope. It will galvanize efforts in a symbolic structure serving the particular needs of each neighborhood.

The "Plant" is an example of a practical, and financially feasible proposal that will improve the urban environment. The beauty of The Plant concept is that it has been developed by a grass roots coalition of architects, engineers, builders, and other community members joined to find solutions in a natural, non-corporate climate. These emerging 'green leaders' are free to think outside the box - each one bringing his or her unique perspective to the table. The collective minds, from a variety of backgrounds, are more likely to generate feasible solutions to large scale problems that require an interdisciplinary approach.

Read more about The Plant here.