Thank you for designing Baltimore's future.
The Design Baltimore: Gateways competition is now closed. Thank you to every architect, designer, artist, engineer, student, and community voice who shared their ideas for the city's gateways.
“I’m calling on all of Baltimore's artists, architects, engineers, students, and creatives to show off their talent and their love of our city through this competition. Especially since these corridors are in areas that residents and visitors visit regularly, including on game days, we want to make sure these designs reflect the beauty and culture of our city and our residents.”
Mayor Brandon M. ScottCity of BaltimorePartners & Credits
- Baltimore City Department of Transportation ↗
- Baltimore City Department of Planning ↗
- South Baltimore Gateway Partnership ↗
- Visit Baltimore ↗
- Baltimore Orioles ↗
- Baltimore Ravens ↗
- Office of the Mayor ↗
- Mayor's Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE) ↗
- Maryland Stadium Authority ↗
- Downtown Partnership of Baltimore ↗
- Create Baltimore ↗
Thank you for your ideas
Submissions closed Friday, September 25, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Every concept, question, and conversation — from the site tours to Office Hours — has shaped this work. Here's what happens next.
- Step 1Sep 28 – Oct 20, 2026Technical Review & Jury Evaluation
- Step 2Thursday, October 29, 2026Top 12 Finalists Announced — $25,000 stipend each
- Step 3Thursday, November 12, 2026Final Jury Presentations
- Step 4Friday, December 4, 2026Winners Announced — $50,000 per corridor
- Step 5Dec 4, 2026 – Feb 12, 2027Online Exhibition & Community Voting
Three arrivals. One Baltimore.
I-295 / I-95 / Russell Street
Baltimore's ceremonial entrance sequence — where sports, waterfront ecology, entertainment, and infrastructure collide.
I-395 / Conway Street / Howard Street
A civic arrival corridor connecting Baltimore's tourism, sports, convention, entertainment, and cultural ecosystems.
I-83 / President Street / Jonestown
A civic heritage corridor reconnecting Baltimore's historic core, cultural memory, and future urban identity.
Your Design. Your Legacy. Your City.
Are you the architect, artist, or designer Baltimore has been waiting for? A once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the city's gateways and create iconic public art and design experiences that welcome millions of residents and visitors each year.
Because first impressions matter.
Transforming major entry corridors into powerful symbols of creativity, culture, innovation, and civic pride — landmarks that tell Baltimore's story and shape its future.
Three major gateway corridors.
I-295 / I-95 Russell Street · I-395 / I-95 Conway Street · I-83 / President Street.
Architects · Designers · Artists · Planners · Students.
Emerging talent or established professional — this is your opportunity to leave a lasting mark on Baltimore.
12 finalist stipends · 3 corridor winner awards.
Each finalist team receives $25,000 to develop their proposal. One winning team per gateway corridor receives an additional $50,000. Finalists announced October 29, 2026.
Create the gateways. Shape the journey. Define the future of Baltimore.
Where Design Meets Community.
The initiative
Administered by the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), Design Baltimore: Gateways is an open ideas competition with a submissions period that closed September 25, 2026. Jury review runs September 28 – October 20, 2026.
A total prize pool of $450,000 supports the competition: 12 finalist teams each receive a $25,000 stipend to develop their proposals, and one winning team per corridor — Northern, Western, and Southern — receives an additional $50,000 award. Award amounts are subject to funding availability and BDC approval.