The purpose of this project was to understand how Rose Hill residents experience their streets, and what solutions to safer, more pedestrian-friendly designs would be preferable to the community. Rose Hill is a historically Black neighborhood in Charlottesville and within Albemarle County that carries the weight of past inequities and present-day health disparities. Years of studies and limited follow-through have left many residents fatigued and skeptical of promises without results. By engaging city staff in neighborhood gatherings, the Community Climate Collaborative team demonstrated how mobility planning can foster trust and shared ownership of safer streets.
Team:
The Community Climate Collaborative (C3) is a nonprofit working with communities in Albemarle County, Charlottesville, and Richmond, Virginia to mitigate climate change. For this project, C3 brought together a unique coalition of transportation planners, safe routes to school coordinators, micromobility experts, health officials, climate justice advocates, and community engagement leaders. Sadhbh O’Flynn was the project manager from C3.
Goals and Vision:
- Create a “Quick Build Cookbook” that shows residents and decision-makers how to transform neighborhood streets with affordable, ready-to-use “ingredients” or improvements
- Pilot standard improvements that could serve as templates for future city and county projects
- Incorporate green infrastructure, such as shade, trees, and covered bus stops, as a default, not an afterthought
- Engage the Rose Hill neighborhood to lift up the voices of residents of all abilities
- Spark a lasting multi-jurisdiction collaboration between Charlottesville, Albemarle, and the University of Virginia (UVA) around multimodal planning
Background:
Rose Hill residents face higher rates of cardiac arrest, strokes, and diabetic emergencies. Life expectancy is 11 years shorter than in nearby neighborhoods. The recent closure of the area’s last grocery store deepened food insecurity, forcing residents to travel farther for fresh food. The built environment compounds these challenges: wide and fast roads without crosswalks, sidewalks blocked by obstructions, scarce bike lanes, and unreliable transit service makes accessing essential services extremely difficult. In the summer, rising temperatures worsen conditions for those walking or waiting without shelter.
At the same time, structural challenges persist which limit infrastructure investments. VDOT controls county roads, often limiting local flexibility. Albemarle County is still building out its public works department and is unable to committo infrastructure projects without adequate staff capacity. While UVA, a powerful presence, operates like a separate municipality. In this
complex landscape, collaboration is both essential and difficult.
To accomplish the goals of this project, the team hosted the largest Rose Hill Neighborhood Association gathering ever—a walk audit where residents guided planners through the streets, pointing out hazards and opportunities. For their time, households received Food Lion gift cards. The City and planning departments participated in this activity and have since committed to conducting walk audits in other neighborhoods to understand common barriers and opportunities for safer streets. Thanks to this project, the seeds are planted for sustained multimodal collaboration between Charlottesville, Albemarle, and UVA.
Outcomes and Impact:
- Gathered actionable feedback to guide the City’s commitment to continue walk audits in other neighborhoods
- Commissioned local artists to create visualizations of potential improvements, ensuring designs reflect community culture and climate priorities
- Developed the “Quick Build Cookbook” as a practical, visual guide for multimodal street improvements
- Secured long-term sustainability by hosting the guidebook online with potential City funding for future print versions
- Supported community visibility through events like the Loop de Ville festival and the Rose Hill Neighborhood Association Block Party through VWAI Special Project Funding
- Built lasting momentum for collaboration between Charlottesville, Albemarle, and UVA