YARD begins work in Norfolk's Railroad District

Norfolk’s Railroad District has historically been where an eclectic mix of uses, building types, and transportation infrastructure converged. It also has been the transitional seam between neighborhoods to the north and Ghent and 21st and Colley to the south. Today, growth pressures have jumped the tracks. New amenities and destinations have started attracting new businesses and residents.

In recognition of this, the City has identified the district as one needing a broadly championed master plan that may be implemented, in part, through new investments in community development infrastructure. Work Program Architects and YARD & Company have been engaged to lead a broad-based movement that will help give a shape and voice to the district, help with decision making and governance, and allow growth to continue without losing track of what got us here in the first place. It will also create the environment in which difficult discussions may proactively continue as development occurs to ensure that development happens with the community and not to it. 

Building on recent conversations around railroad corridor and trail planning work, a new chapter of master planning and engagement through a Charrette process is required to bring both legacy and new stakeholders together to build a shared vision for the future.