Richmond may be a historic city, but for a long time it has lacked a comprehensive way to approach historic and cultural preservation. City leaders hope to change that by developing a Cultural Resources Management Plan.

The CRMP will combine and enhance existing policies under one umbrella to identify, evaluate, and protect the city's resources — from buildings to archaeological artifacts to intangible items like oral histories.

The planning process began at the start of 2023 with an initial phase of background research and stakeholder engagement. Key takeaways from Phase 1 pointed to development as one of the biggest challenges facing cultural and historic resources, though the need to balance housing affordability with historic preservation was also highlighted.

A preliminary outline of the CRMP has already been published. The document previews what to expect from the final version. When completed, the plan will include guiding principles, goals, a survey of risks and mitigation best practices, and partnerships.

Want to get involved? There are two opportunities to provide input coming up next week.

Session 1 | Monday, Oct. 16 | 6 p.m. | RPL Main Branch, first floor | Virtual option
Session 2 | Wednesday, Oct. 18 | 12 p.m. | Virtual

Public engagement will continue throughout the project. A community survey is available and will be open through Nov. 13. Expect more public meetings, an open house, and a detailed outline of the plan in 2024.