The Opportunity Collaborative (The Collaborative) was the consortium charged with developing a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD) for the Baltimore region. Funded by a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the Collaborative began in 2010 and released the RPSD in 2015. The Collaborative’s members included local governments, state agencies, universities and nonprofit organizations. The Co-Chairs of the Collaborative were William H. Cole IV, President and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corporation, and Scot T. Spencer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Under the guidance of Michael B. Kelly, Executive Director, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council was the lead partner in the effort and served as staff to the Collaborative.
The RPSD is a collective effort of governments, organizations, and community partners to connect traditionally separate planning efforts and to develop new strategies to reduce regional disparities and improve the quality of life for all our citizens. In addition to the RPSD, the Collaborative developed regional plans in the areas of housing and workforce development and funded innovative and transformative efforts through a series of grants.