09/08/2026
What if stormwater runoff could be managed in a way that works more like nature?
Last week, our CityScape Engineering, LLC team had the opportunity to visit Backyard Basecamp’s BLISS Meadows in Northeast Baltimore to learn more about an innovative project underway using a regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC) system.
Backyard Basecamp was founded in 2019 by Atiya Wells, a pediatric nurse and naturalist who saw a need for greater representation and access to nature-based experiences. Today, the organization works to reconnect Black, Indigenous, and other people of color with local food, land, and nature.
At BLISS Meadows, that mission has helped transform roughly 10 acres of urban land into a community green space with an urban farm, forest, ponds, gardens, and environmental education programming.
Now, the next chapter includes rethinking how stormwater moves through the property.
RSC systems use shallow pools, riffles, vegetation, and natural materials to slow, spread, and filter stormwater runoff while helping restore the surrounding landscape.
We joined Atiya Wells and Kieron George from Backyard Basecamp for a tour, along with John Sarbanes and Kristen Fidler from The Sarbanes Center and Matthew Garbark and Kim Grove from Baltimore City Department of Public Works. The group discussed the current project and opportunities to apply similar approaches to future installations.
CityScape is assisting with plans review and permitting, while Underwood & Associates is leading the design and construction.
It’s a great example of engineering, ecology, and community coming together to find a better way to manage stormwater.