The Lortz Lane LortzWave street mural creates a shared street that provides a safer way for students to walk from the nearby Govans Elementary School to the Govans branch of the Pratt Library. Building on the traffic calming art, a Pop-up Plaza Kit stored in a newly painted shipping container features elements to transform the street into a pedestrian plaza for community events. The Lortz Lane project was a result of a long term community planning process focused on the needs of local students.
In recent years the Baltimore City Public School System has been renovating and rebuilding schools as part of its Baltimore 21st Century Schools program, including Govans Elementary. To support this renovation, the Baltimore City Department of Planning conducted an INSPIRE planning process focused on better connecting the now renovated Govans Elementary with surrounding neighborhood assets. According to DOP, through “ongoing conversations both prior to and reengagement after the pandemic during the INSPIRE process, Lortz Lane was highlighted as a pedestrian route to connect the school to the library and work towards increasing safety for students and community members traveling along this route became a recommendation of the plan.”
The initial proposal that came out of the INSPIRE plan sought to close the single-lane, alley-like street to vehicular traffic so that students and residents could safely walk down the narrow corridor between York Road and Bellona Avenue while also creating a more inclusive and active public space. In partnership with representatives from Govans Elementary, York Road Partnership, the 4th District Council Office, Loyola University, York Road Business Improvement District, the Baltimore City Departments of Planning (DOP) and Transportation (DOT) hosted public meetings to gather community input. Based on public feedback, DOT developed a compromise solution that marked a 5’ wide walking and wheelchair lane next to a narrower car lane. Additionally, the street could be temporarily closed for block parties and other community events hosted by the York Road Business Improvement District.
Based on this revised plan, Graham Projects collaborated with DOP, Loyola, and the York Road BID to further engage residents to envision the shared street mural and placemaking elements. Community partners hosted a pop-up event on the street itself where residents shared their thoughts on elements they would like to see integrated into the public space. Later, Graham Projects artists met with students at Govans Elementary and invited them to draw their own ideas to inspire the street mural. Graham Projects also talked with nearby restaurants, including the owners of Heritage Smokehouse. Based on everyone’s input, Graham Projects developed three design proposals that were voted on by the public. Graham Projects then updated selected LortzWave design to further synchronize it with the colors of the adjacent restaurants.
LortzWave is a large-scale pavement art waveform interpretation of the placename “Lortz Lane Govans”. A “waveform” is the visual depiction of a recorded sound pattern. The thicker sections of color represent louder parts of the words, while the thinner parts represent softer moments. From a central red waveform reverberates bands of orange, yellow, and brown. The complementary palette and undulating artwork is inspired by popular hues and motifs that resonated through drawings shared by community members and input from adjacent stakeholders. Parallel the soundway mural runs a dedicated walking lane stenciled with symbols inviting walking, wheelchair riding, and biking; and representing local destinations like the library and nearby restaurants. The groovy LortzWave design transforms the spoken word of street and neighborhood into a colorful community pathway and place.
Through our public planning process, residents identified their top Lortz Lane placemaking priorities: shade, planters, seating, tables, and a sculptural element. In response to this community input, the Pop-up Plaza Kit includes two-person bistro tables and chairs, up to four-person ADA accessible tables and chairs, umbrellas, benches, rolling planters, a sculptural community bulletin / chalkboard, corn hole, and a 20’ shipping container for storing the furnishings when not in use. All of these items are moveable and may be set up in different arrangements for various events.
Funding for the Lortz Lane project came from both Loyola University and a federal appropriation by Maryalnd Senator Chris Van Hollen. Graham Projects is thankful for the opportunity to work with local resident advocates, Govans Elementary School students and teachers, Baltimore City DOP and DOT, Heritage Smokehouse, and the Office of Baltimore City 4th District Councilman Mark Conway. Special thanks to Marie McSweeney Anderson for her long term leadership shepherding this project.
Project partners: Govans Elementary, York Road Partnership, the 4th District Council Office, Loyola University, York Road Business Improvement District, Baltimore City Department of Planning and the Baltimore City Department of Transportation
Graham Projects production team: Graham Coreil-Allen, Melvin Jadulang, Mar Braxton, Lydia Milano, Zoe Roane-Hopkins, Liam Arbeiter, Maurice McCrimmon, Kirsten Pamfilis, Sam Polt, Claire Pomykala