Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Green Infrastructure Initiative Plan, Benjamin P. Jones

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This plan was developed for the City of Richmond (VA) Department of Public Utilities with the purpose of identifying strategies to create Green Infrastructure (GI) development incentives among private properties. A series of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses are used to target the most problematic stormwater runoff regions within Richmond. The research compares the effects of Richmond’s Combined Sewer System (CSS) to land uses and urban tree canopy cover to determine where GI would benefit overall water quality the most. The analyses indicate multi-family residential, commercial, and industrial properties within three regions as contributing the most to water quality degradation …

Food Access In Petersburg, Virginia: Final Report And Recommendations, Ursp 666 (Commercial Revitalization), Logan Ashby, Chesley De Leon, Shekinah Mitchell, Michael Nixon-Garrison, Gabriella Pino-Mareno, Elizabeth Roderick, Jeff Smith

Urban and Regional Studies and Planning Reports

The City of Petersburg has long suffered with issues of limited access to food and food insecurity. Food deserts, or areas underserved by retail food options, are prevalent throughout the City. As a result, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has ranked the city last of Virginia's 133 counties in their annual health rankings.

For the Fall 2019 semester, students from Virginia Commonwealth University's L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, through Dr. John Accordino's Urban Commercial Revitalization course, focused on planning solutions to address food deserts in commercial areas, with the City of Petersburg being one of their …

Increasing Access To Food: A Comprehensive Report On Food Supply Options, Ursp 666 (Commercial Revitalization), Logan Ashby, Chesley De Leon, Vegas Krane, Eric Mai, Shekinah Mitchell, Michael Nixon-Garrison, Gabriella Pino-Moreno, Elizabeth Roderick, Chloe Rote, Jeff Smith, Charlie Wilson, Will Wilson, Hunter Wood

Urban and Regional Studies and Planning Reports

Access to food is one of the most important aspects of a healthy, sustainable community. Grocery stores and other suppliers can serve as an economic anchor to provide social benefits to communities. Unfortunately, many communities do not have convenient and/or affordable access to grocery items, particularly fresh produce.

As part of Virginia Commonwealth University's Fall 2019 graduate course on Urban Commercial Revitalization, class members researched 13 retail and other food access options, which are described in this report. Each chapter covers a food access option and provides basic information that will be useful to individuals, organizations, or government agencies that …

Shacklefords Commercial Development Analysis, Ursp 666 (Commercial Revitalization), Chloe Rote, Charlie Wilson, Will Wilson, Vegas Krane, Hunter Wood, Eric Mai

Urban and Regional Studies and Planning Reports

King and Queen County believes that economic development is crucial to ensuring a stable economy and high quality of life for residents of the county. With an out-commuting rate of 71% for the entire Middle Peninsula region, residents and businesses are spending their money outside of the region due to a lack of job opportunities and commercial development. However, the intersection of Route 33 and The Trail at Shacklefords within King and Queen County provides a major economic development opportunity for King and Queen County and the Middle Peninsula region.

Through a one-semester research project, students in a VCU Commercial …

Saving The Libby Hill Viewshed: Preserving And Enhancing One Of Richmond’S Greatest Assets, Christopher J. Mcnamara

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The view from Libby Hill Park in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood has been identified as an endangered view, and the possibility of new development changing this view has increased in recent years. This plan explores what this view means to the identity of the neighborhood and the city and identifies ways to preserve the view while promoting development. The plan also identifies ways to make the park more accessible and open to all residents to increase its value to the city of Richmond, VA.

Scott's Addition Green Space Plan: Small Changes Making A Big Impact, Sara J. Rozmus

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Scott’s Addition is a fast growing, postindustrial neighborhood situated on the north side of West Broad street and bordering Henrico county to the west. The current building stock in Scott’s Addition consists of industrial and manufacturing buildings, and warehouses, much of which have been converted into multi-family residential buildings, commercial businesses, office and restaurant space (Neighborhood History, 2018). As a consequence of its original land use and zoning most of Scott’s Addition is dominated by concrete surface area and sprawling, one to two story building structures. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings has brought new investment and residents into the neighborhood …

Transit Access Equity In Richmond, Va, Rachel Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the extent of public transit access equity issues in Richmond, VA. The City of Richmond has an established public transportation network system, and the thesis explores the level of access for urban residents to use existing public transportation services. Technologies and programs have begun to emerge across the United States to help solve transit accessibility challenges. The thesis assesses the level of transit access equity that exists in Richmond and introduces technologies and services that could help improve accessibility and equity. The thesis uses a mixed methods approach that will consist of …

Making A House A Home: A Community Plan For Regional Engagement On Housing, Anna N. Clemens

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This plan was developed for Virginia Organizing, a statewide non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to challenging injustice by empowering local communities. The plan was designed to produce a replicable model for organizers embarking on housing campaigns. Research on the Virginia Organizing chapters in Fredericksburg and Charlottesville was completed as well as on the broader affordable housing ecosystems in these regions. This research was gathered through interviews with regional and local planners, organizers, non-profit representatives, and individuals working in the intersection of planning and organizing. Chapter member research, which guided this plan, was conducted through surveying, focus groups, and qualitative mapping. Findings …

Guiding Growth: A Growth Management Plan For Powhatan County, Julia E. Hensley

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This plan offers Powhatan County a series of analyses and recommendations to maintain their rural character. Because of its proximity to the City of Richmond and other more-populated localities, Powhatan has been experiencing accelerated growth recently compared to historically. This document analyzes past development trends, current development trends, and projects future development trends and density scenarios. It pays close attention to the county’s predetermined Special Areas as locales for growth. Following the analyses, there were numerous obvious suggestions to be made to the county’s current growth management tools that could help them strengthen their ability to maintain and preserve their …

Scenic Corridor And Trail-Oriented Development Plan For Charles City County, Virginia, Brett Meadows

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The Virginia Capital Trail is a multi-use path that runs from Richmond to Jamestown, Virginia. Much of the trail goes through Charles City County. Charles City is a rural county with an estimated population of ~7,000 (2018). The county is part of the Richmond Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population declined three percent since 2010, and many residents commute to work in other parts of the MSA. The trail parallels scenic Route 5 through most of the county. The county considers the trail and the scenery along the corridor as assets.

The Scenic Corridor and Trail-Oriented Development Plan for …

Residential Fire Impacts On Richmond, Virginia: A Plan For Identifying And Educating Our Most Vulnerable Communities, Jennifer L. Tillett

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

In 2017, 1.3 million fires in the U.S. caused 3,400 deaths, 14,600 injuries, and $23 billion in loss. Vulnerable populations are less resilient due to their lack of adequate access to financial, medical, and community resources as well as their propensity to reside in substandard housing. This plan studies the impacts of Richmond’s residential fires (2015-2017) on vulnerable communities within the city. Its purpose is to provide an understanding of where fires occurred in vulnerable communities and to recommend actions for prevention education.

The plan is divided into six sections: Introduction, Background, Methodology, Findings, Recommendations, and Implementation. A Social Vulnerability …

A Strategy For The Cultivation Of Community Strength, Jessica Tomasita Turner

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This professional plan is a community-based template for neighborhoods in the urban landscape that were once thriving and are now struggling with population stability. The study area is found in the south side of Richmond, Virginia in the neighborhoods of Bellemeade and Oak Grove. The recommendations of this plan are focused on the cultivation of long-term residents. The research of this plan investigates three elements that can be focused on in order to cultivate this demographic: aging in place, abandonment due to family growth, and housing issues. These three elements have been researched and developed in order to craft well …

Vcu Campus Tree Plan, Bilal Damaj

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Throughout the past several years VCU has grown tremendously as a large public research university and an anchor institution within the city of Richmond However, VCU also has been working towards a more sustainable future and is committed to furthering sustainability in its community and campuses. While VCU has several long-range plans dedicated towards different aspects of the University’s planning and design initiatives, the University does not have any plan dedicated specifically towards its campus trees or tree canopy. An analysis of the existing conditions on VCU’s campuses found that there is low amount of urban tree canopy cover, high …

Impact Investment Strategy: Linking Health & Housing, Elizabeth G. Mckinsey

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The purpose of this plan is to create an impact investment strategy for RMHF that explicitly links health and housing. The strategy will use impact investing, an investment strategy that directs capital to enterprises that generate social and or environmental benefits for the surrounding community. One of RMHF’s goals is for the investment strategy to offer strategies that address the entrenched racism and inequities in the City of Richmond. Impact investing will enable RMHF to be a contributing partner with Richmond as it moves away from a history of unfair housing policies that negatively impact countless citizens to a healthier, …

Planning An Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem In Norfolk Virginia, Matthew A. Cline

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Provides an overview of Norfolk’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem and challenges associated with its disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Presents policy recommendations in creating more equitable environment for these small business ventures.

Assessing The Degree Of Access To Urban Public Parks For Older Adults In The Villages Metropolitan Area Of Florida, 2017, Yingsong Wang

Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid urbanization, the urban residents' demand for urban public parks is increasing. As a unique and representative age group, older adults put forward new requirements for the evaluation and rational planning of urban parks. Park accessibility is an important index reflecting the rationality of park layout, the accessibility of residents to the park and the social equity of park services. In this paper, buffer analysis and network analysis based on the ArcGIS platform were selected to analyze service accessibility and green transportation accessibility of The Villages metropolitan area of Florida respectively and then make a summary analysis. In …