The city is moving to the next phase in establishing a comprehensive approach to historic and cultural preservation. Leaders of the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan — previously known as the Cultural Resources Management Plan — have released the first draft of the plan and opened it for public comment.

Background

The city-wide plan will guide how Richmond addresses historic and cultural preservation with practical strategies and goals, as well as a focus on equity and inclusion.

A primary focus of the CHSP is identifying those cultural and historic assets — literally. The umbrella term can be applied to tangible resources like buildings and archaeological artifacts, but also intangible ones like community identities and oral histories.

After identification, the plan will include ways to recognize, safeguard, and manage change surrounding these resources.

What's in the draft

The first draft of the project gives a full overview of what the plan aims to accomplish and how it will go about it. At this point in the process, the city is specifically seeking feedback on the plan's content and organization.

The draft also includes an overview of Richmond's history and information about past and present preservation programs. The second chapter goes into how it will actually used by city leaders, preservation groups, residents, developers, and other stakeholders.

The whole third chapter of the draft focuses on trends and challenges the plan aims to address, including Richmond's population growth, housing affordability, deterioration and demolition, and natural disasters.

Get involved

Flip through the plan's first draft and leave your thoughts. Pro tip: You can see what others have commented by clicking on the yellow speech bubbles in the document.

The deadline for public comments is Sunday, June 30.