What We’re Learning

What We’re Learning

We believe that a community of creative problem-solvers, faced with complicated, seemingly intractable challenges, is well-served by thought-provoking, research-based information, and analysis. We support the development and dissemination of research in two ways:

Abell Reports

Abell Reports are commissioned reports by subject matter experts, academics, and investigative journalists that provide studies of selected issues on the public agenda.

Abell-Supported Research

These projects – undertaken with grant funding by academics and nonprofit research and advocacy organizations – advance learning on issues key to Baltimore City.

Featured Reports

Abell-Supported Research – Whole Blocks, Whole City: Reclaiming Vacant Property Throughout Baltimore

There are nearly 15,000 vacant houses and 20,000 vacant lots in Baltimore City, with many thousands more at risk, the majority of which are found in predominantly Black, low-income neighborhoods. Baltimore can break this cycle of disinvestment through a whole block strategy.

Abell-Supported Research – Energy Efficiency for Everyone: How to Supercharge EmPOWER Maryland

The 2008 EmPOWER Maryland Act has helped the state make important strides in energy efficiency and affordability. In this report Maryland PIRG and the Frontier Group analyze its successes and suggest reforms to help it better meet Maryland’s evolving climate goals and the needs of residents.

Photo courtesy of B’more for Healthy Babies

Abell Report – B’more for Healthy Babies: The Story Behind the Data

B’more for Healthy Babies (BHB) is a multidisciplinary public health strategy to improve maternal and child health outcomes. BHB has made a significant difference in Baltimore City, cutting the racial disparity between Black and white infant deaths by more than half. This report explains what has made BHB so effective.

Publications Library

Standing Last in Line: The Hurdles to Bringing Environmental Accountability Lawsuits in Maryland

Our court system is a core component of enforcing environmental protections. But current Maryland law limits who has standing to sue to protect the environment. This report looks at steps the state can take to improve this system.

Costly Delays: Diagnosing and addressing operational delays in Baltimore’s nonprofit contracting process

Baltimore City depends on nonprofits to provide services, particularly in Black and low-income communities. This Abell Report asks what causes the delays in the City’s contracting process with nonprofits and how can those delays be fixed?

Examining the Opportunities and Challenges of the Rental Assistance Demonstration Program in Baltimore

The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) is designed to preserve public housing and provide the funding necessary for long deferred capital improvements. Has the program achieved those objectives in Baltimore? This Abell Report offers some early assessments.

Taking Stock of Digital Inclusion in Maryland

Where are the challenges of digital inclusion greatest in Maryland? This mapping tool, developed with funding from the Abell Foundation, uses a Digital Equity Index to highlight the communities — in urban and rural areas — facing the steepest challenges.

The Costs of Baltimore’s Vacant Housing

Vacant houses, uninhabitable due to abandonment or lack of owner investment, exert a heavy cost on neighborhoods and the City as a whole. This report calculates just how steep the public cost is and provides an economic backdrop for future action.

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    Header photo courtesy of Venture for America.