Document Type
Professional Plan Capstone
Original Publication Date
2026
Client
Groundwork RVA
Location
Richmond, Virginia
Date of Submission
May 2026
Keywords
rva, resilience hub, resilience microhub, community resilience, network, environmental justice, community solar, modular building, emergency management, adaptability
Abstract
Richmond, Virginia has experienced a steady increase in climate-related disruptions including more hot days and more extreme storm events than in previous decades. Frontline communities disproportionately feel the impacts of these events, revealing gaps in the services and resources that should allow these communities to prepare for and recover from disruptions more effectively. This plan, developed for Groundwork RVA, explores neighborhood-scale resilience microhubs as a tool to fill these gaps and increase resilience in frontline communities.
The plan establishes a repeatable process for creating and expanding a network of resilience microhubs in the Richmond region. This process was tested and refined in real time through the development of a detailed plan for a microhub at Groundwork's Hillside Urban Farm. Expert interviews and conversations with community members augmented case studies and literature review to compile a robust set of best practices for the design and implementation of resilience hubs and to adapt those findings to the desired scale of the microhub concept.
In addition to the repeatable implementation process, the plan establishes best practices for services, programming, and standard operation procedures, and includes a draft operations manual that can be adapted for future microhubs. As Groundwork develops the Hillside Hub and implements the recommendations in this plan, resilience microhubs can be an effective, accessible tool to adapt, strengthen, and protect Richmond's frontline communities.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects