Our Community
Where We Are
The place we refer to as ”our community“ belongs to the Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan watershed. The rich network of creeks, rivers and streams that historically shaped our area is now threatened by increased population density, haphazard development and environmental degradation. At the same time, environmental awareness is on the rise, as well as a commitment to protecting and restoring our environment. (Click here for a list of environmental justice organizations in our community.)
Our community is located inside the Beltway [495/95] in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
It can also be described as the Greater College Park area. The specific area of focus for the Engaged University’s program activities is the International Corridor, a term coined by Professor William Hanna in the University’s department of UrbanStudies and Planning, referring to the Hyattsville/Langley Park area of University Boulevard, to the West of the University. We have broadened the usage of the term "International Corridor" to refer to the inside the Beltway communities surrounding the University, due to the diversity of countries-of-origin represented by the residents who live in our community.
The 2000 Census reveals that the area we refer to as the International Corridor is home to approximately 60,000 residents who represent 121 nationalities or ethnic groups and speak more than 47 different languages. The Corridor’s racial and ethnic composition shifted significantly between 1990 and 2000. Previously predominately African-American, the Latino population increased 204% to constitute more than one-half of the area’s population (57.6%). Many other foreign-born families, particularly from the African continent and the Caribbean, also migrated here during this period.