Heritage Areas: a Tool for Local and Regional Planning

Heritage areas are places where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, significant landscapes that offer meaningful experiences for tourists and improved quality of life for residents throughout Maryland. To explore these unique spaces, join us on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM for a free webinar that will review the heritage area concept and its intersection with local and regional planning. The session will spotlight the Maryland Heritage Areas Program alongside local case studies in Central Maryland and the Eastern Shore, demonstrating how state and National Park Service designations can unlock financial investments to further historic, cultural, and natural resource protection.

Following the webinar, participants will be able to:

• Define heritage areas and how they connect to the network of heritage areas in Maryland and nationally
• Apply heritage area priorities to comprehensive planning
• Describe how heritage areas contribute to placemaking, placekeeping, and historic, cultural, and natural resource stewardship
• Apply heritage area funding and networking support to local planning goal implementation

Find out more and register for this free webinar by following this link.