Riverdale Park

Riverdale Park is interested in collaborating with the University of Maryland to provide food supplies for the hungry and low-income residents of the Town. Students could explore the economic viability of local food production (e.g., community gardens, non-profit and for-profit urban farming), food recovery, and distribution of food and money from local stakeholders. The examination of the current impact of University efforts such as the Field of Greens, the Food Recovery Network and Terps Against Hunger can be part of this effort.

Riverdale Park is the home to many residents for whom English is not the first language. Students could explore the delivery of translation services in the most efficient way.

In addition to improving translation services to which certainly can improve cross-cultural understanding, Riverdale Park is interested in collaborating with the University of Maryland in a review of current efforts. The first step would be the identification of what these areas are, but students could propose and/or develop a process to conduct this review, and then to reduce or eliminate areas of misunderstanding, and then to reduce the negative impact of those challenges.

Certainly related to the previous opportunity (RP A3), Riverdale Park would like to specifically explore current and potential events as a means of mitigating cross-cultural misunderstandings. Students could explore the marketing potential, local business impacts, and other social benefits of Riverdale Park events that address this opportunity.

Develop coordination with upstream jurisdictional efforts related to Wells Run (See Watershed Improvement Plan in Hyattsville, and Wells Run Project A1 in University Park).  Students could also study the pipesheds of Riverdale Park (see University Park project A3, and College Park project A3)

Including the Wells Run watershed and associated pipe shed, every drop of water that runs off into local waters drain to the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia River. The Northeast Branch’s main stem flows through Riverdale Park in a channelized flow that was created in response to decades of flooding during the mid-20th Century.
Efforts to restore and protect the Northeast Branch must be done carefully to protect against unintended flooding consequences. New technology in water management design improve this possibility but much of the flow is from upstream, and out of the control of Riverdale Park. Students could use a business process to look at the financing of development and implementation of a watershed implementation plan that would serve as Riverdale Park’s contribution to the restoration of the Northeast Branch. Students could look at the impacts in neighboring Edmonston of the “complete street” of Decatur Street, with special focus on the economic development and job support implications of the work.

The Gosling Pond is an existing feature that could be of even greater value to the community. Students could evaluate the various methods, including costs and benefits, of improving the water feature and its immediate surroundings.