Chesterfield Heights (2014-2016)

Wetlands Watch collaborated with Virginia Sea Grant and the US Green Building Council: Hampton Roads to bring together students from Hampton University and Old Dominion University (the start of the Coastal Community Design Collaborative “CCDC”) to develop resilience designs for the historic shoreline neighborhood of Chesterfield Heights in Norfolk, VA.

These student-driven designs became a key part of the City of Norfolk’s submission to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's National Disaster Resilience Competition. In early 2016, the project won a $120 million grant for the state of Virginia, with $115 million specifically allocated for implementing those designs in Chesterfield Heights. The design team was recognized for their work with the 2015 Norfolk Environmental Action Award for their contributions to environmental resilience and innovative design. Students who worked on the project were hired by the engineering and design firms that did the work in the neighborhood! It’s a perfect story that shows the value and need for projects like this everywhere across Virginia.

Watch this video featuring ODU Engineering Graduate Alex Carlson and other students who worked on this project.

The Chesterfield Heights Project Participants: