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TEAM 4: Margaret B. Martin and Lenneal J. Henderson

Margaret B. Martin, who dubs herself a “professional imagineer,” is the chief of design and construction in Baltimore ’s new department of general services. A native of Oklahoma, she holds a B.A. in economics and fine arts from Randolph-Macon Woman's College; a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park; and an M.S. in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Lenneal J. Henderson is a Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Administration, a senior fellow in the William Donald Schaefer Center, and a senior fellow in the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics at the University of Baltimore. He teaches and studies urban management and politics. He received A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and grew up in New Orleans and San Francisco.

photo by Tyler Fitzpatrick

Living a Vision

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What do we see when we see Baltimore? People live in radically different worlds in the same Baltimore. How do they see the city? How is their vision of the city reflected in what they do, manage, or create? What do those creations say to us and them? Do we have similarities? If so, what are they?

Just for fun, we cast a wide net over the city and chose several characters to interview for this project. We posed the following six questions to each person:

  1. What does Baltimore mean to you?
  2. If you had to choose one physical feature that you love about Charm City, what would it be?
  3. If Baltimore were a fabric, what would be our common threads and colors?
  4. What is one of your more meaningful moments or experiences with the city?
  5. What is your hope for Baltimore’s future?
  6. How do you see yourself making that happen?

We also asked our respondents to choose six images that reflect their responses in one way or another. We took those images and applied them onto the six sides of an origami cube. (Origami is a Japanese art form that involves cleverly folding paper into new shapes.) Our prototype on the adjacent page allows you to participate in our project by pulling the page out and folding it to create a cube. (To see more responses, go to www.urbanitebaltimore.com/project.)

It wasn’t easy for us, either; it’s been a few years since we tried this childhood pastime. The difficulty in working to get the folds right and the inserts correct reflects some of the difficulty we face in integrating our different views of and hopes for B-more with others. But what a beautiful and rewarding result! It truly is a charm–a charm that keeps on changing and gleaming!

We interviewed many people, all with interesting stories to tell. If we didn’t get to you or if we could not transmit your entire story, we apologize. Oh, but wait! We have included you! What with that other wonderful little creative design, the computer, we can have you join us, too!

Let us hear from you. How do you see Baltimore? Go to www.urbaniteproject.com and create your very own origami cube charm with your own photos. Just follow the directions on the website, and presto: You too will become another beautiful thread of this most beautiful city, our charming Baltimore. And the good news is, as you and your community change and grow, you can refine, revise, or re-imagine your origami!