Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2455-9696
Document Type
Professional Plan Capstone
Original Publication Date
2025
Client
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Location
Richmond, Virginia
Date of Submission
February 2026
Keywords
Urban planning, Preservation, Memorialization, Contested spaces, African American cultural heritage, Historical literacy, Stakeholder accountability, Community engagement, Reflective practice, Erasure
Abstract
This plan develops a strategic framework to address the complexity of navigating preservation and memorialization in contested spaces, using the Richmond Community Hospital as a case study. Rooted in the legacy of Sarah Garland Boyd Jones, the first African American woman certified to practice medicine in Virginia, this plan examines the intersection of racial equity, cultural heritage, and land-use planning. The Richmond Community Hospital case study raises broader questions about how African American cultural heritage sites are preserved to confront erasure, ensure an accurate historical record, and promote historical literacy for current and future generations. Conducted with reflective practice, this analysis identifies challenges and opportunities within current planning and preservation efforts. In response, this plan advances a Preservation Accountability Framework with recommendations that center historical literacy, stakeholder accountability, and community engagement as essential elements of ethical urban planning practice in contested spaces and guide future preservation and memorialization efforts.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects
Included in
Education Commons, Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons, Social Justice Commons, Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons