What Neighborhood Design Center does

Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1968 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, that delivers pro bono conceptual design, community engagement, and technical planning services to low- and moderate-income communities affected by institutional neglect. Its operational footprint is concentrated in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, Maryland, where it has completed more than 4,000 community-led projects over its 55+ year history. NDC's service portfolio is anchored by the Community Design Works program, which convenes residents and local leaders to envision park improvements, revitalize commercial districts, develop greening strategies, and execute placemaking and traffic-safety interventions such as the Made You Look Art in the Right of Way crosswalks around schools like Johnston Square Elementary. Adjacent offerings include the Build Together Designer-in-Residence program, the annual Vision Is Yours Conference, and published resources (The Blueprint engagement guidebook, Made You Look Toolkit, Signal Station North Lighting Guidebook).

Underlying delivery is human-intensive community design practice rather than a software or technology product. The model pairs design professionals with neighborhood partners through facilitated engagement sessions, research, visioning, branding, and grant-writing support, with implementation frequently funded by external sources assembled by NDC. The portfolio is supported by ongoing partnerships with the City of Baltimore Department of Transportation, the Maryland Department of Transportation, MICA Center for Social Design, ReBuild Johnston Square, and funders including Bloomberg Philanthropies, AARP, and UnitedHealthcare.

Revenue is grant- and sponsorship-driven and is not publicly disclosed, with a single quantified inflow of $140,000 from UnitedHealthcare in August 2022 alongside unquantified support from other foundations, government agencies, and corporate sponsors. Day-to-day operations are run by a small team (11–50 employees) under Executive Director Jennifer Goold, with services offered primarily on a pro bono basis to community clients rather than via fee-for-service pricing. This structure is consistent with a mission-locked non-profit rather than a venture-backable entity, and revenue mechanics, geographic limits, and customer mix (predominantly government agencies, schools, and neighborhood nonprofits) reflect that posture.

Name

Neighborhood Design Center

Legal name

Neighborhood Design Center

Website

https://ndc-md.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Design Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Architectural Services (541310), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Community design services
• Pro bono planning
• Urban revitalization
• Community engagement
• Nonprofit design

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pro Bono Design Services: NDC provides design and planning services often on a pro bono basis to low- and moderate-income communities affected by institutional neglect.
2. Grant Funding and Sponsorships: As a non-profit organization, NDC is funded through grants from organizations such as Bloomberg Philanthropies and AARP, as well as partnerships with government agencies and corporate sponsors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Neighborhood Design Center provides pro bono conceptual design, planning, branding, and community engagement services to low- and moderate-income communities in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, Maryland. Through its Community Design Works program and adjunct initiatives such as Made You Look and Build Together, the organization helps residents and local leaders envision parks, revitalize commercial districts, develop greening strategies, and implement traffic-safety placemaking, while also supporting grant writing and funding access for implementation.

Product overview

The Neighborhood Design Center offers a portfolio of community design services centered around its Community Design Works program, which provides pro bono design and planning services to low- and moderate-income communities in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, Maryland. The organization also produces educational resources including The Blueprint guidebook and the Signal Station North Lighting Guidebook, and runs programs like the annual Vision Is Yours Conference and the Build Together Designer-in-Residence initiative. The Made You Look program, which NDC now stewards, provides Art in the Right of Way interventions through a toolkit that helps communities implement traffic-calming design projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Design Works
• Pro Bono Community Design
• Made You Look
• Build Together
• The Vision Is Yours Conference
• The Blueprint
• Signal Station North Lighting Guidebook
• Made You Look Toolkit

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% to 75% increase in driver yielding rates after installing art crosswalks

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MICA Center for Social DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Maryland Institute College of Art's Center for Social Design on community design projects including the Johnston Square project. Students from MICA participated in creating colorful crosswalks, murals, and signage. MICA graduate students originally conceived the Made You Look initiative.
• Maryland Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner collaborating on the Made You Look initiative and traffic safety projects. The department's Highway Safety Office co-founded the Art in the Right of Way program with MICA.
• City of BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltimore Department of Transportation partnered with NDC on the Johnston Square project to install bump-outs, crosswalks, and sidewalks surrounding Johnston Square Elementary School.
• ReBuild Johnston SquarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReBuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization (RJSNO) partnered with NDC on the Community Design Works program. RJSNO engaged local residents in a comprehensive planning process to identify neighborhood assets and areas of intervention.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Healthy Neighborhoods Inc: Baltimore-based non-profit that supports community revitalization in Baltimore City neighborhoods. Direct geographic overlap with NDC and similar target beneficiary base of low- and moderate-income communities.
• Project for Public Spaces: National non-profit focused on placemaking and community-led public space improvement. Highly comparable mission and delivery model to NDC, with stronger national brand but similar reliance on grants and pro-bono service.
• Public Architecture: National non-profit connecting design professionals with under-resourced communities. Closely mirrors NDC's pro-bono design services and community engagement model, though with national scope.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Land Institute (ULI): Global real estate and urban development research and education organization. Comparable focus on urban planning and community development, but as a membership-driven think tank rather than on-the-ground project delivery.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Large national community development financial institution supporting underserved neighborhoods. Similar mission and funder base as NDC, but operates at much greater scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Major national non-profit focused on affordable housing and community development, headquartered in the Maryland/DC region. Overlaps with NDC on community development goals but operates at far greater scale with a broader capital stack.
• Smart Growth America: Advocacy and research organization promoting equitable urban planning and development. Comparable stakeholder base (cities, funders, community groups) but operates at policy/advocacy level rather than direct project delivery.

Emerging players

• MASS Design Group: Architecture non-profit designing buildings and public infrastructure for under-resourced communities. Overlaps on mission and pro-bono ethos, but specializes in built environment rather than community engagement and planning.
• Center for Community Progress: National non-profit focused on vacant property revitalization and equitable community development. Adjacent mission space and similar funder ecosystem as NDC, with narrower focus on blight and reuse.

Regional players

• Greater Baltimore Committee: Regional business leadership organization focused on Baltimore economic and community development. Same Baltimore geography and overlapping stakeholder base, but more business-oriented and advocacy-focused than NDC's community design work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Neighborhood Design Center